title: [Thoughts on Cancer Education in Primary Schools].
abstract: Cancer prevention is increasingly important in an aging society such as Japan, both in terms of the achievement of national healthy-life elongation and the reduction of the social and economic burden of medical care. Prevention is of principal importance for achieving these purposes. Cancer is considerably preventable by following a healthy lifestyle, including refraining from smoking, having regular health examinations, and receiving vaccines. With respect to lifestyle education, elementary school children are expected to be the most effective target population. However, a governmental committee comprised largely of educational specialists recently recommended that comprehensive cancer education begin in middle high school, because cancer prevention is a topic too difficult for young children to understand and implement. According to the committee 's report, the specialists set lofty aims for cancer education, including empowerment of a living will, promotion of thinking about life and death, and demonstrations of sympathy toward individuals who are weak or have disease. These aims are admirable. However, if these lofty aims prevent the practice of cancer education in elementary schools, then we should rethink the purpose in relation to the setting. This author suggests that the principal purpose of cancer education in elementary schools should be to imprint a healthy lifestyle in children to prevent the development of cancer in the future. In addition, to give a clear understanding that cancer is a"dan-dan"(step by step)disease is important. Although the present author supports efforts in elementary schools to achieve ambitious aims, they should not be so lofty to interfere with the practice of cancer prevention education in these settings.
authors: Japan National Committee for UICC.
authors: Tomoyuki
authors: T
authors: Kitagawa
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012574:Schools