Variation in Blame Attributions across Different Cancer Types

Abstract

Cancer communication has begun to focus on prevention through lifestyle change. One possible consequence of this is that attitudes towards people with certain types of cancer could become increasingly negative. In this study, we assessed attributions of blame for five common cancers. Data were collected as part of a population-based survey of women's attitudes to cancer. A sample of 1,620 women rated how much they would blame someone who had a diagnosis of breast cancer, cervical cancer, bowel cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia, as well as chlamydia and obesity. Few women attributed any blame for someone with leukemia or breast cancer (9% and 15%). The proportions attributing some blame for bowel cancer and cervical cancer were slightly higher (23% and 37%). Patients with lung cancer were considered at least partly to blame by 70% of respondents, approaching chlamydia (87%) and obesity (96%). Attributions of blame for bowel, cervical, and lung cancer were most common among those with more qualifications, and women who knew that cervical cancer was linked to sexual activity were more likely to attribute blame to it (48% versus 32%). Cancers are not generally seen as a matter of personal responsibility, but lung cancer, and to a lesser extent, cervical and bowel cancer do attract blame attributions. Knowledge of the preventability of cancer seems to be associated with perceived responsibility. Increasing awareness of the preventable nature of some cancers might affect blame attributions. Additional research is needed to explore the implications of these findings.