Assessment of Cancer Patients' Relatives' Knowledge, Perception, and Attitude Toward Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health

Background:

• Assessing cancer patients' relatives' knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes is vital.
• Oral cancer awareness is critical in high-prevalence areas for prevention and early treatment.
• Improving prognosis through early-stage disease elimination is a key goal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the knowledge, perception, and attitude of cancer patients' relatives regarding oral cancer.
• To identify barriers to seeking timely medical care and treatment adherence.
• To inform public health strategies for oral cancer prevention and management.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 400 relatives of hospitalized cancer patients.
• A 23-question survey in the native language assessed knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes.
• Informed consent and participant anonymity were ensured.

Main Results:

• Participants demonstrated limited knowledge of oral cancer causes, treatment, prevention, and recurrence.
• Family members showed unsupportive attitudes towards therapy and delayed medical care seeking.
• Patient habits and associated problems were also assessed.

Conclusions:

• Raising public awareness about oral cancer is essential.
• Educating individuals on available treatments, government programs, and counseling services is crucial.
• Facilitating informed decision-making can improve patient outcomes and aid in early-stage disease elimination.