Medical students' knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices of cancer prevention and detection

Surveys of U.S. physicians show deficiencies in cancer detection and counseling skills. Thus, there is a compelling need to provide skills teaching during medical school for cancers with preventable mortality and for counseling techniques for smoking prevention and cessation.

In advance of the integration of initiatives for cancer education into the medical school curriculum, the authors conducted a baseline survey of students' knowledge, attitudes, skills, practices, observation, and training (KASPOT) related to cancer education. Eighty-one percent of Boston University School of Medicine students (n = 499) completed surveys.

The students reported higher levels of KASPOT for breast and cervical cancers, compared with skin cancer examination or tobacco use cessation or prevention counseling. More than half of third- and fourth-year students reported that too little emphasis was given to cancer control education.

It appears that students' practice and skills for detection of the most common cancer (skin cancer), and for cancers with the greatest mortality (tobacco-related cancers) are deficient. Revisions in medical students' curricula should seek to address these shortcomings.