Public Attitudes towards Cancer Survivors among Korean Adults

We evaluated public attitudes towards cancer survivors and identified the characteristics associated with these attitudes in Korea.

We performed this cross-sectional study using proportionate quota random sampling of the 2015 Korean Census. In May 2017, investigators conducted face-to-face interviews with 1,500 Korean volunteers aged between 20 and 79 years. The questionnaire recorded sociodemographic factors, smoking and drinking habits, cancer history in family and acquaintances, interest in cancer survivors, cancer-survivor blame, and attitudes towards cancer survivors.

Many participants had negative attitudes towards cancer survivors. People with a monthly household income above US $7,000 were less likely to have a negative attitude than those with monthly incomes below US $1,499. People in their 70s, without a religion, living in rural areas, smokers, or those who blame cancer survivors for their own cancer were more likely to have a negative attitude than people outside these categories. People interested in cancer survivors were less likely to have a negative attitude than those who were not interested.

To improve attitudes towards cancer survivors, it will be necessary to increase interest in cancer survivors through education, publicity, and advocacy using strategic messaging that focuses on social and institutional aspects and emphasizes that responsibility for cancer should not be attributed to cancer patients. Inducing the public to be interested in cancer survivors will be important for positive attitudes toward cancer survivors.