Attitudes toward cancer

Fatalismo

ATTITUDE Latinos Anglos

% yes % yes

If you had cancer, would you

talk to friends about it? 79.4 88.2

Does the word "cancer" scare you? 45.7 47.7

Is having cancer like getting

a death sentence? 45.8 25.5

If you had incurable cancer,

would you rather not know? 35.1 23.3

Is there little one can do to

prevent getting cancer? 25.8 18.3

Is cancer due to bad luck? 16.0 14.3

Do you feel uncomfortable

touching someone with cancer? 12.9 7.5

Is cancer God's punishment? 7.3 2.2

Is cancer contagious? 4.0 2.4

Adapted from "Misconceptions About Cancer Among Latinos and Anglos," by Eliseo J. Perez-Stable, M.D., et al, JAMA, Vol. 268, No. 22.