Investigation and analysis of the status of cancer health popularization in China, 2023

Hai-Tao Hu; Yu-Juan Jiang; Xin-Xin Shao; Yi-Ming Lu; Yan-Tao Tian; Quan Xu

doi:10.5306/wjco.v15.i10.1269

Investigation and analysis of the status of cancer health popularization in China, 2023

World J Clin Oncol. 2024 Oct 24;15(10):1269-1279. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i10.1269.

Authors

Hai-Tao Hu¹, Yu-Juan Jiang¹, Xin-Xin Shao¹, Yi-Ming Lu¹, Yan-Tao Tian¹, Quan Xu²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
² Department of Pancreatic and Gastric Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China. 64804070@qq.com.

Abstract

Background: Cancer presents a significant public health challenge in China, necessitating broad collaboration across society. The Chinese government has articulated a goal to increase the overall five-year survival rate for cancer by 15% by 2030. Achieving this objective requires not only advances in medical technology, but also an improvement in the dissemination of knowledge pertaining to cancer prevention and treatment.

Aim: To provide a comprehensive understanding of the status of cancer prevention and level of popularization in China in 2023.

Methods: From January 2023 to May 2023, online questionnaires were distributed to 3000 participants, including medical personnel, patients with cancer, their families, and the general public. There were 2711 valid responses, covering the entire nation.

Results: A total of 1020 medical personnel and 1691 patients with cancer, their family members, and the general public participated in the survey. Among medical personnel, 93.2% had popularized cancer health. Commonly addressed topics included cancer prevention (85.9%) and cancer screening (77.8%). Primary challenges included time constraints (73.9%), insufficient personnel and material support (66.7%), and uncertainty as to where to begin (49.3%). Among patients with cancer, their family members, and the general public, 93.4% reported reading or watching cancer science popularization materials and 56.9% expressed a desire for deeper understanding. The most sought-after topics in cancer science popularization included cancer screening (80.2%) and cancer prevention (75.8%). The greatest challenge encountered in accessing cancer health popularization was an abundance of misinformation (67.5%).

Conclusion: Most clinical doctors, patients, family, and the general public wish to participate in cancer education. However, improvement in the quality of content in cancer prevention and treatment education is required.

Keywords: Cancer health popularization; Cancer prevention; Patient education; Science popularization.