Cancer Prevention Knowledge Research Articles

Cancer Prevention and Diagnosis Knowledge among Spanish-speaking Older Latino/as Residing in Tampa, Florida.

Cancer remains the leading cause of death among Latino/as in the United States, and advancing age is a major risk factor for developing most cancer types. Given the growing population of Latino/as immigrants aged ≥60 years and the current lack of relevant data, this study aims to understand the cancer prevention and perception of cancer diagnosis among older Latinos to ensure that they receive effective prevention, intervention, and psychosocial care. A survey exploring attitudes about cancer was developed and administered in Spanish. Using convenience sampling, 168 individuals identifying as Latino/as were surveyed in Tampa, Florida. Descriptive analysis was conducted to understand study population characteristics. Frequencies were assessed to understand the participants' responses to cancer-related attitude questions. The effects of age, country of origin, length of stay in the United States, and marital status on the participants' cancer-related attitudes were assessed using logistic regression. The mean age of the study participants was 67.9 years, 34.5% were male, and the mean length of stay in the United States was 25.8 years. In total, 29% and 24.4% of the participants knew that breast cancer and prostate cancer, respectively, can be diagnosed early. Individuals with an elementary education were less likely to have sufficient knowledge of cancer prevention and diagnosis. Additionally, 93.5% of the population was aware that tobacco use can lead to cancer, and 84.5% knew that exposure to tobacco smoke can affect both the smoker and their family. Older Latino/as possess knowledge about cancer causes yet lack knowledge regarding cancer prevention and diagnosis, potentially creating barriers and causing them to avoid treatment. Focusing on cancer-related health education among older Latino/as is a step toward appropriate and equitable cancer care.

Tingkat Pengetahuan, Sikap dan Perilaku Mahasiswi Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Sumatera Utara Tentang Kanker Serviks

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. It can be prevented by HPV vaccination, pap smears examination, or avoidance of risk factors for cervical cancer. Objectives. To determined the level of knowledge, attitude and behavior about cervical cancer among students at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara. Methods: This is a descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. Results: The highest percentage level of knowledge about cervical cancer and cervical cancer prevention was in a good category, 55 people (57.3%) and people (74%), respectively. In the category of attitudes towards cervical cancer prevention, the most common attitudes found were positive among as many as 96 people (100%). The behavior toward cervical cancer prevention, neutral behavior was the most common (82 people, 85.4%), followed by positive behavior (14 people, 14.6%) and negative behavior. Conclusion: Knowledge of cervical cancer is in a good category, knowledge of cervical cancer prevention is in a good category, and the attitude towards prevention of cervical cancer is in a positive category. The behavior toward cervical cancer prevention is in the neutral category.Keywords: attitudes, behavior, cervical cancer, prevention

Mediterranean diet, BMI, healthy lifestyle, and social factors among a sample of Egyptian women with breast cancer

Background/aim Mediterranean diet is one of the healthy diets as many health benefits are strongly and robustly supported by evidence from long-term observational studies and randomized trials. This study aims to assess the nutrition-related breast cancer (BC) prevention factors, knowledge, attitudes, and practice of Egyptian BC patients. Patients and methods The study included 222 Egyptian women shared as volunteers in a case–control study, with age range: 25–75 years, with breast mass confirmed by mammogram. Using breast tissue core biopsy, 83 diagnosed with malignant tumor lesion, and 54 cases were found to have benign lesion. In total, 85 healthy women (control group) selection that was matched with the patients who had free mammograms on both sides, were chosen to be a control. All women were subjected to thorough clinical examination, anthropometric measurements, diet history, lifestyle, and health attitude assessment. Results Data revealed that benign and BC patients were older (49.33±11.98, 49.49±10.89 years), while BC patients had the highest BMI (35.45±15.58 kg/m2). Data concerned with successful social relationship were good; numerical differences between other factors that concerned lifestyle were reported. Large number of patients with benign tumors and BC did not adhere to consumed healthy diet, their scores when compared with Mediterranean diet were 5.58±3.70 and 5.44±2.81 compared with 6.67±3.00 of the control. BC patients had the lowest intake of milk and dairy products, vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, and olive oil compared with the control with high significant differences (P≤0.01), while consumption of red and processed meat was significantly high, which was different from what was recorded in their belief and preference of such food. Conclusion According to the findings of this study, Egyptian BC patients who participated in this study had the lowest attitude and adherence to eat healthy diet. Data highlighted the necessity to increase the successful good social relationships and support for cancer patients.

Knowledge, and practice of cervical cancer prevention and associated factors among commercial sex workers in Shashemene Town, West Arsi, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

BackgroundThe distribution of deaths and morbidities related to cervical cancer is disproportionally higher in low- and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, there is a limited study on cervical cancer prevalence on Sex Workers, but a study conducted in Central America risk of developing HPV infection in sex workers is 2.5 times more than the general population. But a study conducted in the general population in Ethiopia reports that the incidence and mortality due to cervical cancer in Ethiopia is 26.4 and 18.4/100,000 respectively. However, there is limited data on knowledge and practice of cervical cancer prevention among sexual sex workers in Ethiopia.MethodsA health institution-based cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the knowledge and practice of cervical cancer prevention and its associated factors among 405 women of commercial sex workers with a systematic random sampling technique and with an interviewr administered. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify associated factors of knowledge and practice towards cervical cancer prevention with a p value < 0.05.ResultIn this study, three hundred eighty-five participants were included making a response rate of 95%. About half (50.1%) of respondents have knowledge regarding to cervical cancer, screening, and its prevention, and 20.3% of respondents were practiced cervical cancer screening. Having a history of use of combined oral contraceptives, AOR 2.190, (95% CI 1.374–3.492) and having a history of sexually transmitted infection, AOR 1.861, (95% CI 1.092–3.172). were significantly associated factors with knowledge of cervical cancer prevention. Regarding their uptake of cervical cancer screening, the level of knowledge was a significant factor, AOR 17.216 (95% CI 7.092–41.793).ConclusionsThe study participants have an average knowledge of cervical cancer and its prevention and their practice was low as other women. Curtailing cervical cancer; through increasing their knowledge by integrating sexual and reproductive health services to cervical cancer screening clinics and equipping them with audiovisual materials that will increase their knowledge that end up with good uptake.

The effect of nutrition education for cancer prevention based on health belief model on nutrition knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian women

BackgroundIn recent years, nutrition has received an increasingly important role in the etiology of cancer. Thus, public education about dietary factors associated with cancer risk or prevention could be an important intervention for cancer prevention, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the burden of cancer is increasing rapidly and the access to care is limited. The age-standardized incidence of breast cancer was 35.8 among Iranian women in 2020. We aimed to study the effect of nutrition education on the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Iranian women towards dietary factors related to cancer.MethodsIn this interventional study, 229 women from public health centers were recruited and underwent three 75-min sessions of education based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). Participants were interviewed by trained interviewers using a validated and reproducible nutrition-related cancer prevention knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaire (NUTCANKAP) questionnaire designed based on the HBM. Nutritional knowledge, attitude, and practice of participants were assessed through this questionnaire. Three 24-h dietary recalls (one weekend and two nonconsecutive weekdays) were also collected before and one month after the intervention.ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 45.14 years, and the mean BMI was 27.2 kg/m2. After the intervention, the participants had a higher intake of whole grain (p = 0.03) and a lower fat dairy (p = 0.009) and nuts (p = 0.04). However, the intake of high-fat dairy (p = 0.001) decreased after the intervention. We indicated significant differences in knowledge (p < 0.001) and nutritional practice scores (p = 0.01) after education. In addition, after the intervention, there were significant differences in the mean score of the HBM components, except for the perceived self-efficacy.ConclusionParticipation in a nutrition education program positively impacted the knowledge and nutritional practices linked to cancer prevention.

The need for preventive nursing care from a gender perspective at Bollate prison. An example: breast cancer.

Breast cancer is prevalent in females, accounting for 25% of the world's cancers. Prevention is strategic, and the nurse is an active part in educational and preventive programs, highlighting how the need for preventive nature is combined with gender medicine. The objective was to investigate the knowledge of breast cancer prevention among inmates of Bollate prison (Milan). 51% (52) adhered; women had an average age of 44 years (SD: 9.8), and 39% (20) were inmates from 1 to 3 years. 93% (48) knew about breast cancer prevention, 43% (26) had undergone specific preventive checkups outside of the prison, and 62% (31) had performed self-palpation. All women felt it was important to implement prevention in the prison environment. A high percentage of female inmates with an educational qualification was observed to be aware of breast cancer prevention and to have undergone screening programs in their lifetime. Emerges the strong willingness of women prisoners to be involved and the educational role of the nurse in the prison setting also from a gender perspective.

How to Improve Cancer Prevention Knowledge? A Way to Identify Gaps and Tackle the Limited Availability of Health Education Services in Primary Health Care Using the European Code Against Cancer.

IntroductionThe first line of action against cancer is primary and secondary prevention. Increased efforts are needed in countries where cancer mortality is high and the healthcare system is inefficient. Objectives: Our aim was to present a new solution to identify and fill gaps in health education services in accordance with the European Code Against Cancer (ECAC).Materials and MethodsThis study was carried out in a rural population of 122 beneficiaries of health education workshops financed by the Polish Cancer League. A self-developed questionnaire was used. PQStat v1.6.8. was also applied.ResultsOur respondents were mostly farmers (53.3%) and manual workers (16.4%). Most participants self-assessed their health knowledge as good (46.7%). While 42% of all respondents claimed to know the healthy eating pyramid, only 8.2% correctly recognised all of its principles and 23.8% realised the importance of limiting the consumption of red meat. The most commonly recognised cancer risk factor were genetics (72.1%), stimulants such as alcohol or tobacco (51.5%) and environmental pollution (45.1%). UV radiation was not commonly recognised as a risk factor by respondents despite high occupational exposure in this population. We found a high percentage of male smokers. As many as 64.8% of respondents had not been counselled on cancer prevention in their clinics. A family history of cancer (FHC) did not differentiate respondents' health knowledge, health behaviors, or frequency of receiving cancer prevention counselling. Health education and health promotion in the region were unsatisfactory.ConclusionsPrimary health care (PHC) should become more involved in promoting cancer prevention knowledge. One way could be to encourage health professionals to promote the ECAC. Cancer prevention should target especially persons with FHC and focus on modifiable cancer risk factors. At the workshops we were able to adjust the strength of each ECAC recommendation to best fit the target audience. By diagnosing and targeting specific communities, we can draw the attention of PHC staff and decision-makers to local health promotion needs, which is a good starting point for improving the situation. However, larger scale projects are needed to help design specific solutions to support primary healthcare in promoting ECAC.

Knowledge of Cervical Cancer Prevention and Screening Uptake Among Female Non-Health Care Providers in Two Selected General Hospitals in Lagos State

Cervical cancer is an abnormal growth of the cells of the cervix which is the lower-most part of the uterus. This cancer can spread to other parts of the body, including the lungs, liver, bladder, vagina, and rectum. Therefore, this research was aimed at assessing the knowledge of cervical cancer prevention and screening uptake among female non-health care providers working in various departments in two general hospitals in Lagos. Annually, in Nigeria 14,943 cases of cervical cancer are reported: out of these 10,403 women die leading to 28 deaths daily from cervical cancer. However, this needless death can be prevented if the cases are diagnosed early through the cervical screening, knowledge and uptake. The research adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey. The population comprises of 350 female non-health care providers from two selected general hospitals in Lagos Island. The sample size of 165 was determined using Leslie Kish formula. A self-developed and validated questionnaire was used to collect data. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that 108 (65.5%) of the respondents knew that abnormal vagina bleeding and bleeding after intercourse are symptoms of cervical cancer while 102 (61.8%) showed that having multiple sexual partners is among the factors for acquiring cervical cancer. Furthermore 113 (68.5%) showed that cervical cancer is preventable while 118 (71.5%) believes that regular cervical screening can prevent cervical cancer and 148 (89.7%) were interested in participating in cervical cancer screening. The knowledge and prevention revealed that there was a positive and significant relationship between them. The research concluded that despite the adequate knowledge of cervical cancer screening as reported by the result, the level of screening is still low. It is hereby recommended that female non-health care providers should do cervical cancer screening regularly.

Nutritional Related Knowledge of Cancer Prevention among Primary Health Care Physicians.

Objectives:To explore the cancer prevention-related nutrition knowledge of primary health care physicians towards nutrition and its relation to the development of cancer. Materials and methods:a cross-sectional study was conducted among family physicians in Riyadh, between November 2019 and April 2020. The participants in the current study were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included socio-economic data and data related to the association between nutrition and cancer. Results:The mean correct knowledge score for physicians is good but less than expected (26.5+5.8) 73.6%. Multiple regression revealed that age, position, and nationality to be significantly associated with knowledge of cancer prevention (P<0.05) among physicians. Conclusions: Primary care physicians have good knowledge about the relation between nutrition and cancer but not sufficient, they should have continuous nutrition educational training programs to ensure safe and sound nutritional advice to patients and for the public about the relation of nutrition and cancer.

The Effect of a Learning Partner Model-Based Program on Spreading Cancer Prevention Knowledge Using Community Health Volunteers in Japan.

Objectives:This study examines the implementation and short-term effects of a Learning Partner Model (LPM)-based educational program on cancer prevention and control information for community health volunteers in Japan.Methods:The program was undertaken by 3 local governments in collaboration with a government initiative and offered a 90-min group workshop to community health volunteers. Community health volunteers (primary participants) recruited in turn friend or family members (secondary participants) with whom they were prepared to share the content of the workshop with the help of printed materials received in the workshop. We conducted self-administered paper and pencil questionnaire surveys before, immediately after, and 3 months after the workshop. The t-test, Fisher’s exact test, paired t-test, and McNemar test were used to compare the 2 groups’ demographic characteristics and healthy habits at pretest. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare cancer prevention knowledge between groups and over time.Results:Of 142 participants, 107 pairs of learning partners (primary and corresponding secondary participant) completed all questionnaires. All primary participants and 37.4% of the secondary participants were women, and 57.9% of the learning partners were spouses. The results showed significantly higher correct answers on the cancer-prevention knowledge questions in the post-workshop and follow-up surveys compared to the pre-workshop survey (P < .001). The increase in knowledge was observed in all learning-partner groups in all 3 sites.Conclusion:The study demonstrates a promising strategy that can be adapted to the health needs of the community beyond cancer prevention and control, building on the efforts of local governments and government health initiatives.

Działania młodych kobiet podejmowane w ramach profilaktyki raka piersi

Introduction. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s data shows that on average 41.8 per 100 thousand Polish women died in 2020 of breast cancer. According to WHO data in 2021, breast cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world - over two decades, the number of cases has increased from 10 to 19.3 million. In 2020, over 2.3 million women were diagnosed with this disease, and over 635,000 women died of breast cancer. Aim. The aim of the study is to show specific preventive actions taken by young women to prevent breast cancer.Material and method. The study was conducted by survey method using a proprietary survey questionnaire, in the spring of 2021 via the Internet (self-completion form at a publicly available Internet address). 109 women aged 20-40 were included in the study. The obtained results of the study were subjected to statistical analysis. The values of the analyzed parameters were presented using counts and percentages. The relationships between the variables was checked by means of the Chi-square test. A significance level of p &lt;0.05 was adopted, indicating the existence of statistically significant differences or relationships. Results. Almost half of the respondents (49.54%) had a sufficient level of knowledge about risk factors and breast cancer prevention. Only 4.99% of the respondents had a good level of knowledge. 45.87% of the respondents had an insufficient level of knowledge. None of the respondents scored the maximum number of points for good answers. The respondents overestimated their knowledge of risk factors and breast cancer prevention. Over 40% of them rated their knowledge good / very good, which was not confirmed in our study. Age, marital status, education, type of work, financial situation differentiated respondents in their knowledge of risk factors and breast cancer prevention.

Knowledge of primary and secondary colorectal cancer prevention among young people in Poland

Colorectal cancer-specific mortality in Poland exceeds the average for European Union countries. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge about colorectal cancer and primary and secondary prevention. The original questionnaire was used in the study. 184 randomly selected respondents were included in the analysis (mean age 35 years). Only half of respondents knew the correct definition of screening test and only one-third of respondents correctly indicated the target group of Colorectal Cancer Screening Program in Poland. The main source of information about colorectal cancer was internet, rather than physicians and nurses. Lower knowledge of colorectal cancer was reported among respondents from small cities and villages, with less education and unemployed. The knowledge about colorectal cancer prevention is insufficient among polish population. Education seems to be an important part of health promotion, especially among people with low awareness of cancer risk factors and screening test.

Abstract PO-058: Increasing liver cancer prevention knowledge through a community-based education initiative to improve liver cancer prevention for underserved African, Asian, and Hispanic communities

Abstract Background: Though a largely preventable disease, liver cancer is now the fastest-increasing cause of cancer death in the US, and it is highly fatal. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer, and it disproportionally affect racial/ethnic minorities, especially the medically underserved. Most HCC cases are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Methods: To increase awareness of liver cancer prevention and screening, we partnered with community-based organizations through NCI funded U54 TUFCCC/HC Cancer Partnership Community Outreach Core, in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan and New York City to design and conduct a liver cancer prevention project. Pre- and post- survey data was collected from underserved Asian, African, and Hispanic American community members who participated in educational workshops. This abstract will report the 473 eligible participants' knowledge on HBV, HCV, and liver cancer both before and after the education. We conducted wilcoxon Signed-rank, Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon sum-rank tests. Results: Knowledge of risk factors increased significantly in all three communities from the pre-survey to the post-intervention survey (2.15 vs. 3.69, p&amp;lt;0.0001). Knowledge of risk factors also significantly increased within the African (1.11, p&amp;lt;0.0001), Asian (1.88, p&amp;lt;0.0001) and Hispanic (3.21, p&amp;lt;0.0001) American Communities. There were no significant differences in increased knowledge by gender (male= 2.18 vs female=2.25, p=0.72). Conclusions: The findings of our study show the importance and effectiveness educational interventions have on promoting liver cancer prevention knowledge among the minority groups who are most affected in the U.S. by liver cancer disparity. Citation Format: Wenyue Lu, Lin Zhu, Safa Ibrahim, Kerry Traub, Ellen Kim, Ada Wong, Nathaly Rubio-Torio, Evelyn Gonzalez, Marilyn A. Fraser, Ming-Chin Yeh, Grace X. Ma, Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, Yin Tan. Increasing liver cancer prevention knowledge through a community-based education initiative to improve liver cancer prevention for underserved African, Asian, and Hispanic communities [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-058.

Social media-based intervention to promote HBV screening and liver cancer prevention among Korean Americans: Results of a pilot study.

ObjectiveIn United States, Asian Americans are 10 times more likely to have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection than Whites. Asian immigrants with limited English proficiency face extra barriers to HBV screening and many are unaware of the infectious status. This study aimed to evaluate a social media-based intervention to promote HBV screening and liver cancer prevention among Korean Americans (KA) with limited English proficiency.MethodsOur community-academia partnership developed the “Lets talk about liver cancer” mHealth program by adapting a CDC media campaign. The program consisted of culturally tailored short video clips and pictorial messages and was delivered over 4 weeks to the participants via the popular Korean social media app, Kakao Talk. A total 100 KA living in greater Washington DC metropolitan were recruited via social media networks and completed this pre-post pilot study.ResultsOut of the 100 participants of KA, 56 were female, mean age was 60, and most have lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, 84% had limited English proficiency, and 21% had a family history of HBV infection or liver cancer. After 4-week intervention, 95% completed the follow-up survey. Participants reported significant improvements in HBV-related knowledge, liver cancer prevention knowledge, perceived benefits of HBV testing, perceived risks of HBV infection, injunctive norms of HBV testing, and self-efficacy of HBV testing.ConclusionsThe Kakao Talk-based liver cancer prevention program for KAs was feasible and effective. We advocate for community-academia partnership to develop and implement culturally appropriate and social media-based interventions for underserved immigrants.

Promising Interventions to Prevent Liver Cancer in Idaho.

The Idaho Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (ICCCP) collaborated with the Idaho Immunization Program (IIP) to plan and implement activities to increase knowledge and awareness of liver cancer prevention through tailored hepatitis B immunization messaging to the Idaho community and health care providers. In this article, we report findings from an evaluation of these activities. The two programs implemented liver cancer prevention activities between May 2017 and December 2017; strategies included a social media vaccination awareness campaign and health care provider education. Facebook Insights was used to report, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze, data from the social media campaign. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data collected from a retrospective pre-post survey for the health care provider presentations and paired t-tests were conducted to detect differences between pre- and postexposure. For the social media campaign, ICCCP and IIP posted a total of 32 liver cancer and hepatitis B vaccination posts on their respective Facebook pages, which reached 42,804 unique users. For the health care provider presentations, there was a statistically significant increase in awareness, knowledge, ability, and intention among health care providers. Our evaluation serves as an example of how public health social media can reach consumers and how educating providers can raise awareness on the importance of hepatitis B vaccination as a means of preventing liver cancer.

Perception and knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for cervical cancer prevention among fully vaccinated female university students in the era of HPV vaccination: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo assess the perception and knowledge of cervical cancer prevention among fully vaccinated female university students in the era of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.DesignCross-sectional using a validated questionnaire.SettingFace-to-face interview at...

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of oral cancer prevention among students, interns, and faculty members at the college of dentistry of Jazan University

BackgroundOral cancer awareness among current and future dental practitioners plays a substantial role in the early detection and prevention of oral cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of oral cancer prevention (OCP) among oral health practitioners in the College of Dentistry at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, and to determine factors that facilitate, or limit practices related to oral cancer prevention.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire survey was done among dental students (n = 274), interns (n = 81), and faculty members (n = 117) in the College of Dentistry at Jazan University between May 2019 to February 2020. The questionnaire was developed in English and modified from a previously validated and published questionnaire into Arabic. It covered every KAP of oral cancer prevention that was useful in accomplishing the study's objectives. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine the factors associated with the practice of oral cancer prevention in the past year.ResultsOnly 29.7% reported having participated in any OCP activities in the past 12 months while about 42% and 53% of participants referred suspected oral cancer patients to the departments of maxillofacial surgery and oral medicine, respectively. Most of the participants had poor knowledge (71.9%), unfavourable attitudes towards OCP (83.6%) and poor levels of practice (62.9%). The study found that the attitude of the participants was significant in influencing their practices of OCP in the previous 12 months, after adjusting for all other factors.ConclusionIt was concluded that the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of OCP among the sample population was poor. The survey findings suggest that oral health practitioners in Jazan are inexperienced in the methods to adopt for prevention and early detection of oral cancer, despite the high prevalence of oral cancer among province residents. Further research should investigate effective educational strategies and training for improving the participation of students, interns, and faculty members in oral cancer prevention activities.

Association of cancer prevention awareness with liver cancer screening participation rates among a high-risk population: results from rural Anhui Province.

Association of cancer prevention awareness with liver cancer screening participation rates among a high-risk population: results from rural Anhui Province.

Students' Knowledge about Cervical Cancer Prevention in Poland.

Background and Objectives: In Poland, the rates of morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer are amongst the highest in Europe. A significant percentage of newly diagnosed cases of cervical cancer are at an advanced stage. Unfortunately, only about 20% of Polish women take part in cervical cancer screening. The aim of the study was to assess students’ knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors and prevention. Materials and Methods: The study was provided to Polish students from various universities and faculties between May 2020 and November 2020. The questionnaire was designed specifically for this study and was validated. The chi-square test was used to compare the responses between subgroups. Results: The study was carried out on a group of 995 students (80.6% women, 19% men, 0.4% no data), (average age 21.9 years). Most students knew that the main risk factor for cervical cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (82% of all responders; 86% of medical students; 73% of non-medical students; p < 0.001). Only 40% of students knew that in Poland the Population Prevention and Early Diagnosis Program is carried out on women aged 25–59 years every three years. Most students correctly indicated that cervical cancer screening in Poland is performed using cervical cytology and were familiar with the basis of cytology. Only 57% of students knew that there are no specific early symptoms of cervical cancer. A total of 78% of all respondents knew that HPV vaccination reduces the risk of cervical cancer. Medical students and students who are sexually active demonstrated a better knowledge of cervical cancer. Conclusions: The Polish students had some knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors and primary and secondary prevention. Significantly better knowledge was demonstrated by medical students. Some efforts should be made to ensure that young people, who are not associated with medicine are better educated about cervical cancer in order to reduce the overall incidence and improve early detection rates.

Developing a Novel Interactive Colorectal Cancer Educational Session for First-Year Medical Students to Enhance Interest in Public Health.

Medical students need more exposure to and a greater understanding of their role in public health throughout their training, which may influence more of them to pursue careers in public health or change how they practice medicine in the future. A novel colorectal cancer education session was created for first year medical students to attempt to increase public health interest, improve colorectal cancer knowledge and discuss barriers to colorectal cancer screening. We constructed a novel integrated interactive peer led colorectal cancer educational session of panelists with a wide range of experiences in colorectal cancer and colorectal cancer screening. The session involved a didactic component, case presentation, and group exercises followed by assembly discussion. We surveyed first-year medical students over two consecutive years to assess their interest in public health, knowledge of colorectal cancer, and perceptions of barriers to colorectal cancer screening before and after the educational session. We also evaluated student satisfaction with the session. We compared the pre- and post-survey results to assess for changes in interest, knowledge and perceptions. 74.63% of students in 2018 and 67.7% in 2019 evaluated the session as excellent or good, with knowledge regarding colorectal cancer screening markedly increased after the educational session. Students reported knowledge and access to healthcare among the biggest patient barriers to colorectal cancer screening. Interest in public health increased by 7.5% and 5.6% in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The implementation of this interactive educational peer led exercise can increase interest in public health, improve knowledge of colorectal cancer prevention and facilitate discussions of colorectal cancer screening barriers. We hope to encourage other programs to adopt this preliminary model.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13187-021-02087-y.