Cancer screening and prevention practices of inner-city physicians

Effective preventive services are needed most in underserved, inner-city settings that suffer disproportionately from morbidity and mortality. Primary care physicians can play an important role in the provision of efficacious cancer prevention and screening services to patients in these communities.

We surveyed 122 primary care physicians about their cancer prevention and screening knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

Relative to the findings from national and local surveys, sample physicians were not as knowledgeable about national guidelines for preventive care, were less likely to counsel on smoking cessation, and were less likely to advise diet modification. Although physician practices reflected national cancer prevention and screening guidelines in general, a significant proportion of physicians suggested lung and prostate cancer screening tests that were inconsistent with national recommendations.

Systematic efforts are needed to increase the knowledge and practices of inner-city physicians concerning cancer prevention and screening.