Cancer Prevention Comes of Age: Consensus Statement Launched by Medical and Patient Advocacy Community

Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation
Wednesday, 9 May 2001

National Poll Results Show a Lack of Prevention Understanding

Alexandria, VA (May 9, 2001) - A public consensus statement was released today by The Cancer Prevention Working Group (CPWG) - a consortium of oncologists, researchers and patient advocates - in recognition of the growing body of evidence that suggests cancer can be prevented, like other leading causes of American deaths such as heart disease. The CPWG report bridges healthy lifestyles (i.e., diet, exercise, abstaining from tobacco use), personal risk factors, appropriate testing and pre-cancerous treatment options to demonstrate how prevention is poised to most significantly affect cancer incidence and survival rates in coming decades. The general public may not understand the promise documented in medical research, as a recent Cancer Research Foundation of America (a CPWG member) survey of 1,000 U.S. households shows Americans hold conflicting views about cancer prevention.

"Cancer is one of the most preventable of all diseases, but as the results of this survey indicate, most Americans don't know it," said Donald Coffey, Ph.D., Professor of Urology, Oncology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "This statement is important because now is the time to educate the public about what steps they can take to prevent cancer and why such steps are so meaningful."

While a basic premise of cancer prevention is the knowledge that the disease develops in a multi-step process across many years, 58 percent of survey respondents reported a belief that pre-cancerous conditions evolve to cancer in a year or less. Current data suggest some cancers, like those of the colon or cervix, may take from five to 15 years to develop, allowing for testing and treatment to prevent the onset of cancer.

Survey results do suggest Americans are knowledgeable about risk factors, as the majority named tobacco use, dietary habits and hereditary as leading cancer risks. Yet, 44 percent of those surveyed categorized "everyone" as being most at risk of developing cancer, indicating that confusion exists about how cancer risk factors affect specific populations.

"Knowing one's risk factors is critical to the early detection and prevention of cancer," said Graham A. Colditz, M.D., Director of Education, Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention. "Evidence indicates that more than half of all cancer cases could be prevented if everyone understood and acted upon the risk factors that are now accepted by cancer researchers."

As the National Cancer Institute and researchers worldwide evaluate medications to prevent the recurrence of pre-cancerous conditions, survey results show Americans are undecided about the benefits of participating in these studies. Nearly half (47 percent) reported they would participate in a clinical trial to study a medication to prevent cancer if they knew they were at risk for developing the disease. However, more than a third (37 percent) said they would not participate even if they knew they were at risk. In the US, less than three percent of adult patients participate in studies to evaluate treatments for cancer, despite the fact that this is the process by which key advances are made.

Sixty-one percent of those surveyed agreed that research about the links between lifestyle and cancer inspired personal changes in their behavior. Yet, nearly one third (32 percent) disagreed that the research connection had affected behavior changes - with the largest percentage of these respondents (43 percent) noting a lack of motivation as the reason why they had not modified personal behaviors.

"Cancer prevention begins with changes in personal behavior," said Carolyn Aldigé, President and Founder of the Cancer Research Foundation of America. "This consensus statement is an important step toward educating the American people about what everyone can do to help turn the tide against this deadly disease."

The Cancer Prevention Working Group is a cooperative of medical experts and patient advocates dedicated to establishing broader professional and public understanding of cancer prevention. The Cancer Research Foundation of America has assumed a central role in bringing CPWG members from leading medical associations, patient advocacy groups and government agencies together to share independent perspectives and champion common public health goals. The group was established in 1999 with sponsorship from Pharmacia/Pfizer. The Cancer Research Foundation of America is a national nonprofit health organization whose mission is the prevention of cancer through scientific research and education. Founded in 1985 by Carolyn Aldigé, the organization's commitment to prevention is fueled by the fact that certain cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes and screening, yet more than 553,000 Americans die from the diseases annually. Since its inception, the Foundation has supported research, education and early detection programs in excess of $50 million.

For more information, or to contact Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, see their website at: www.preventcancer.org