Negative messages of cancer disparities may influence screening among minority patients

Cancer disparity data reported in the media may influence screening decisions made by minority patients. In a study recently published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, negative messages appeared to discourage patients from colon cancer screening.

Researchers from St. Louis University conducted a randomized trial to determine whether colon cancer disparity data elicits unintended negative responses among minority patients.

The study included 300 black men and women with a mean age of 54.4 years. Participants were asked to read one of four mock articles that included the same colon cancer information. The articles highlighted the impact of colon cancer on black individuals or the progress black patients have made over time in reducing their risk for colon cancer. Two articles emphasized disparity in colon cancer between black patients and white patients.

Researchers evaluated the positive and negative effects of the articles and participants’ behavioral desire to undergo screening for colon cancer.

Positive emotional responses to each article were different (P<.001). The article on progress elicited a more positive mean emotional response of 3.91 compared with 3.41 for the impact article and 3.17 for the disparity articles.

Negative emotional responses to articles were also different across groups (P<.001); the disparity article provoked a more negative response (mean emotional response=2.89) than the impact (mean=2.43) or progress (mean=2.19) articles.

Participants who read the progress article were more likely to want to be screened for colon cancer (mean response=4.72) than those who read the impact (mean=4.33) or disparity articles (mean=3.90; P<.001).

Participants with lower medical mistrust scores were more likely to want to be screened (mean=4.58;) than those with higher scores (mean=4.05; P=.07).

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008;17:2946-2953.