ArticleCancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology2015
Cancer fear: facilitator and deterrent to participation in colorectal cancer screening.
Article in Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
54 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Barriers to cancer screening uptake and approaches to overcome them: a systematic literature review.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Pooled it
- What do people fear about cancer? A systematic review and meta-synthesis of cancer fears in the general population.Psycho-oncology · 2017Pooled it
- Participation and Refusal in an Implementation Trial: Insights from the Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination through the Integration of Screen-and-Treat Services (ACCESS) Study.Research square · 2026Article
- Cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the Fear of Cancer Scale.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2026Article
- Article
- The Role of Fatalism in Coping: Disparities in Psychological Distress Among Patients With Indolent Blood Cancers.Cancer medicine · 2026Article
- Dare to take care of yourself: the relationship between psychological courage and the intention to undergo mammography screening.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Fear of cancer levels of women who applied cervical cancer screening: a cross-sectional study of the effects of health beliefs related to cervical cancer and Pap-Smear test.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2025Article
- 'This has given me the peace of mind I needed': ethnographic insights into Barrett's oesophagus screening using the capsule sponge test.Journal of medical ethics · 2025Article
- The Impact of Age on Preferences for Colorectal Cancer Surveillance Strategies: Are Fecal Immunochemical Tests FIT for Surveillance?Cancer medicine · 2025Article
- Messages About Tobacco and Alcohol Co-Users.Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs · 2025Article
- The relationship between uncertainty and fear of disease progression among newly diagnosed cancer patients: the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty.BMC psychiatry · 2024Article
- Patients' anxieties and fears: a comparison between transrectal prostate biopsy and prostate MRI.Translational andrology and urology · 2024Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and willingness toward breast magnetic resonance imaging screening among women at high risk of breast cancer in Beijing, China.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward glioma of patients with neurological symptoms or diseases in henan, China.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Motivation, acceptability and attitudes toward lung cancer screening among persons who attend a tobacco cessation program: A multicenter survey in Italy.Preventive medicine reports · 2023Article
- The Perception and Awareness of the Public about Cancer and Cancer Screening in the United Arab Emirates, a Population-Based Survey.Clinics and practice · 2023Article
- Attitudes and Experiential Factors Associated with Completion of mt-sDNA Test Kit for Colorectal Cancer Screening.Journal of patient experience · 2023Article
- Factors influencing colorectal cancer screening decision-making among average-risk US adults.Preventive medicine reports · 2022Article
- 'Is it painful'? A qualitative study on experiences of patients before prostate needle biopsy.BMJ open · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCancer fear has been associated with higher and lower screening uptake across different studies, possibly because different aspects of cancer fear have different effects on intentions versus behavior. The present study examined associations of three aspects of cancer fear with intention and uptake of endoscopic screening for colorectal cancer.
methodsA subsample of UK Flexible Sigmoidoscopy (FS) Trial participants received a baseline questionnaire that included three cancer fear items from a standard measure asking if: (i) cancer was feared more than other diseases, (ii) cancer worry was experienced frequently, and (iii) thoughts about cancer caused discomfort. Screening intention was assessed by asking participants whether, if invited, they would accept an invitation for FS screening. Positive responders were randomized to be invited or not in a 1:2 ratio. The behavioral outcome was clinic-recorded uptake. Control variables were age, gender, ethnicity, education, and marital status.
resultsThe questionnaire return rate was 60% (7,971/13,351). The majority (82%) intended to attend screening; 1,920 were randomized to receive an invitation, and 71% attended. Fearing cancer more than other diseases (OR = 2.32, P < 0.01) and worrying a lot about cancer (OR = 2.34, P < 0.01) increased intentions to attend screening, but not uptake. Finding thoughts about cancer uncomfortable did not influence intention, but predicted lower uptake (OR = 0.72, P < 0.01).
conclusionsDifferent aspects of cancer fear have different effects on the decision and action processes leading to screening participation. IMPACT: Knowledge of the different behavioral effects of cancer fear may aid the design of effective public health messages.
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