The impact of having a relative or a friend with cancer on person's modifiable cancer-related risk factors.

Abstract

It is known that targeting cancer-related modifiable risk factors is the best way to fight cancer. Behavioral and lifestyle changes can significantly reduce the burden of cancer. We aim to assess the impact of having a relative/friend with cancer on the number of cancer-related modifiable risk factors a participant might have. A survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted at King Hussein Cancer Center from June 2020 until July 2020. The survey was distributed via social media platforms, where we targeted adults who have never been diagnosed with cancer. We asked about modifiable cancer-related risk factors and compared between participants with and without relatives or friends with cancer. A total of 1486 participants were considered for analysis, with a mean age of 30.62 (SD 11.19) years. Participants who had a relative with cancer had a mean of 0.31 (p = 0.007; 95% CI: 0.08-0.54) fewer risk factors, with smoking and extra sun exposure were significantly lower among participants with a cancer relative. No significant difference in modifiable risk factors was found between participants with a friend who have cancer and those who do not (p = 0.193). People who have relatives with cancer had less modifiable risk factors, which might reflect on their willingness to modify their cancer-related risk factors.