Fear of cancer, its antecedents, correlates, and disease risk estimates

Abstract

Individuals and society as a whole seem to be particularly fearful of cancer. A web-based study with data collected from Qualtrics panels in the United States ( N = 810) was conducted to investigate the antecedents, consequences, and correlates of fear of cancer. Comparisons were made across four cancers (lung, thyroid, pancreas, and melanoma) that varied in prevalence and death rate, and three non-cancer diseases (heart attack, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS). Individuals were indeed particularly scared of cancer. Their fear was influenced by threat appraisals related to both disease and treatment side effects. Risk estimates for diseases were influenced jointly by emotion and threat appraisal.