The German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) disclosed on Monday that the personal risk of cancer appears to be severely underestimated in Germany. This conclusion is based on two surveys that highlight critical knowledge gaps regarding cancer causes and risk factors. Despite the fact that almost every second person receives a cancer diagnosis during their lifetime, only twelve percent of respondents assessed their own cancer risk as high. Conversely, a majority of respondents felt well-informed, with 61 percent confident in their knowledge of cancer prevention and 62 percent confident in their understanding of early cancer detection.
A significant discrepancy was also observed when respondents assessed their own lifestyles. Two-thirds of participants reported that their lifestyle was healthy, even though many acknowledged issues such as a lack of exercise, being overweight, or regularly consuming alcohol and tobacco. Ursula Will, one of the study authors, emphasized that mere information is not sufficient to drive behavioral change; it is crucial that individuals connect their personal risk with their actual behavior.
One of the studies focused on the public’s knowledge of individual cancer risk factors. Smoking, passive smoking, lack of physical activity, and sunburns were recognized as risks. However, other scientifically proven risk factors remain less familiar to the public. The most frequent sources of information people cited were internet search engines and general health professionals.
