Strategies to Improve Awareness and Management of Cancer Risk Factors and Screenings

Cancer continues to be a leading cause of mortality globally, claiming approximately 10 million lives each year. While the disease significantly impacts life expectancy and quality of life, public knowledge about cancer's causes, risk-reducing behaviors, and the importance of screening tests remains alarmingly low. This gap in awareness perpetuates risky behaviors linked to cancer and hinders the avoidance of known risk factors. Furthermore, low participation in screening programs—often due to fear of diagnosis—prevents these measures from effectively reducing cancer mortality rates.

This Research Topic aims to explore the pivotal role of education in enhancing cancer knowledge and advancing screening practices. The goal is to identify and control environmental and genetic factors contributing to cancer risk, emphasizing the importance of reaching not only the elderly but also young people for early prevention measures. Information dispelled must also address common misconceptions and fears associated with cancer to encourage broader participation in screening programs.

To gather further insights in enriching health education and management regarding cancer, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Education about cancer risk factors and cancer screening.
- Health promotion interventions.
- Prevention and control of cancer risk factors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy behaviors.
- Identification of cancer risk factors including genetic mutations.
- Activities motivating individuals to overcome barriers - fear, anxiety, shame as negative predictors of participation in cancer screening.
- Health management strategies to increase participation in cancer screening.

Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent clinical or patient cohort, or biological validation in vitro or in vivo, which are not based on public databases) are not suitable for publication in this Research Topic.

Keywords: Cancer risk factors, cancer screenings, cancer awareness, cancer management

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.