Americans are skipping their cancer screenings, which could be bad for their health, since early detection can mean better outcomes and more treatment options. To stress the importance of cancer screenings, President Biden has declared April 2024 Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month.
The results of the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Early Detection Survey are out, revealing just how many Americans are not getting the screenings they should. The poll of over 7-thousand U.S. adults finds:
- Nearly 69% are behind on at least one routine cancer screening.
- So why aren’t they going? The biggest reason is that people just didn’t know they needed to be screened (43%).
- Over a third (38%) are skipping screenings because they don’t have a family history of the disease, while 33% don’t get them because they’re not experiencing any symptoms.
- Other top reasons vary by race, including 15% of Black Americans who are skeptical of the healthcare system. Almost a third (30%) of Asian respondents say they’re nervous about the screening exam and 34% of Hispanic and Latino respondents report not being able to afford the cost.
- But after finding out about the benefits of early detection, 73% of people are more likely to schedule their next recommended cancer screening.
“There’s a lot of information out there and it can be confusing for people,” says Jody Hoyos, the CEO of the foundation. “There is a big misconception that only people with a family history of cancer need to be screened for cancer… The truth is, most people who get cancer do not have a family history, about five to 10% of cancers are hereditary.”
Source: Prevent Cancer Foundation