Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Fake cancer causes belief 'rife', research suggests
In a survey of 1,330 people in England, published in the European Journal of Cancer, most people correctly said smoking was a cause.
But increasing numbers are getting the risk factors wrong.
Smoking, being overweight and overexposure to UV radiation are the biggest preventable causes of cancer.
Cancer Research UK said about four in 10 cases of cancer could be prevented through lifestyle changes and it was important to have the right information to "separate the wheat from the chaff".
Researchers at University College London and the University of Leeds carried out the survey and found that more than 40% wrongly thought that stress and food additives caused cancer.
One-third incorrectly believed that electromagnetic frequencies (35%) and eating genetically modified (GM) food (34%) were risk factors, while 19% thought microwave ovens and 15% said drinking from plastic bottles caused cancer, despite a lack of good scientific evidence.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43895514
But increasing numbers are getting the risk factors wrong.
Smoking, being overweight and overexposure to UV radiation are the biggest preventable causes of cancer.
Cancer Research UK said about four in 10 cases of cancer could be prevented through lifestyle changes and it was important to have the right information to "separate the wheat from the chaff".
Researchers at University College London and the University of Leeds carried out the survey and found that more than 40% wrongly thought that stress and food additives caused cancer.
One-third incorrectly believed that electromagnetic frequencies (35%) and eating genetically modified (GM) food (34%) were risk factors, while 19% thought microwave ovens and 15% said drinking from plastic bottles caused cancer, despite a lack of good scientific evidence.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43895514