title: Do the British public recognise differences in survival between three common cancers?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The recognition that cancer is not a single entity, rather that different cancers have different causes and trajectories, has been a key development in the scientific understanding of cancer. However, little is known about the British public's awareness of differences between cancers. This study examined differences in perceived survivability for three common cancers with widely disparate survival rates (breast, colorectal and lung).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a population-based survey, using home interviews (N=2018), respondents answered a quantitative (numeric) question on 5-year survival and a qualitative (non-numeric) question on curability, for each of the three cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  British adults correctly recognised that 5-year survival for breast cancer was higher than for colorectal cancer (CRC), which in turn was recognised to be higher than for lung cancer. Similarly, curability was perceived to be higher for breast than CRC, and both were perceived to be more curable than lung cancer. Awareness of survival differences did not vary by sex, age or socioeconomic status. In terms of absolute values, there was a tendency to underestimate breast cancer survival and overestimate lung cancer survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The British public appear to be aware that not all cancers are equally fatal.
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Beeken
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wardle
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D006113:United Kingdom