Global survey highlights cancer misbeliefs

GENEVA, Switzerland, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- People in high-income countries are the least likely to believe that drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer, officials of a Swiss non-profit say.

The survey, conducted by Roy Morgan Research and Gallup International on behalf of the International Union of Against Cancer in Geneva, Swizerland, indicates many people hold mistaken beliefs about what causes cancer, tending to inflate environmental factors that have relatively little impact while minimizing the hazards of lifestyle behaviors.

The survey involved interviewing 29,925 people in 29 countries around the world during the last year.

The survey also indicates that:

-- In high-income countries, the hazards of not eating enough fruits and vegetables scored more highly as a perceived risk -- 59 percent -- than alcohol intake did -- 51 percent, even though the evidence for the protective effect of fruit and vegetables is weaker than the evidence that alcohol intake is harmful.

-- In rich countries, 57 percent say stress and 78 percent say air pollution are linked to cancer, however, stress is not recognized as a cause of cancer and air pollution is a minor contributor compared with alcohol consumption.

-- In low-income countries, 48 percent say "not much can be done" to treat cancer compared to 17 percent in high-income countries.