As to whether the survey results were unique to Ireland, Dr. Power said the data are relatively consistent among Western countries, but that the perception of cancer risk does vary among regions. For example, HPV-associated cancers and environmental factors weigh heavily in Japan, whereas obesity is more of a concern in Western countries.
The cohort included 648 women and 100 men. Their average age was 37 years (range, 18-74 years). The investigators did not ascertain how many of the health care professionals were physicians.
Dr. Power reported no conflicts of interest.