Measurement of cancer attitudes: a review

Many psychologists maintain that the attitudes we hold about a particular topic or subject will influence the way in which we behave towards it: positive attitudes lead to positive behaviours and vice versa. A literature search was conducted using the databases of MEDLINE and CINAHL. This produced research-based evidence showing that despite treatment advances, cancer remains one of the most feared of all diseases, not only among the public but also among oncology health-care professionals. However, the practice of measuring attitudes is fraught with difficulties. This review article will discuss the link between attitudes and behaviour and review pertinent literature regarding public and professional attitudes towards cancer before critically analysing the most common tools for evaluating cancer attitudes and making recommendations for the future of attitude measurement.