An estimated 1.4 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States. Even though the disease affects so many people, how well can we distinguish cancer treatment fact from fiction? Researchers studied this question and whether such knowledge was associated with demographic characteristics.

What the researchers wanted to know: How much do people know about cancer treatment?

What they did: Researchers conducted a phone survey of about 1,000 people who had never been diagnosed with cancer. They asked them to confirm or reject the following five myths about cancer treatment: 1) Pain medications are not effective in reducing the amount of pain people have from cancer. 2) All you need to beat cancer is a positive attitude, not treatment. 3) Treating cancer with surgery can cause it to spread throughout the body. 4) There is currently a cure for cancer, but the medical industry won't tell the public about it because they make too much money treating cancer patients. 5) Cancer is something that cannot be effectively treated.

Researchers then analyzed which demographic groups knew the most about cancer treatment.

What they found: About 40 percent of those interviewed thought that surgical treatment of cancer could cause the disease to spread, while about a quarter were convinced that the industry was holding back on a cure. About 20 percent thought that current pain medications do not work for patients with cancer. On the other hand, nearly 90 percent of people correctly debunked misconceptions that a positive attitude is the key to curing cancer and that cancer cannot be successfully treated. About a quarter of participants correctly confirmed that all statements were myths. People with misconceptions were more likely to be more than 64 years old, nonwhite, less educated, poorer, southern, and those who told the researchers they didn't know much about the disease.

What it means to you: If you were convinced one of the above myths was true, don't let yourself be fooled. Now is the best time to start demystifying cancer. Your primary care provider is an excellent resource, as are the websites listed below.

Caveats: Participants may have identified truthful nuances of the statements. For example, those polled may interpret "effectively treated" cancer differently, giving the statement a kernel of truth.

Find out more: The National Cancer Institute is an excellent resource, with information on risk factors, prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. They have pages in Spanish.

The American Cancer Society is another comprehensive resource. It also has some information in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Specific cancer organizations with websites include the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the National Prostate Coalition, the Lung Cancer Alliance, the Colon Cancer Alliance, the Skin Cancer Foundation, and CureSearch, a site for children with cancer and their families.

The Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention sponsors an interactive site, "Your Disease Risk." Available in both Spanish and English, the site has questionnaires that help evaluate a person's risk of developing different types of cancer.

The Wellness Community is an international nonprofit organization that has information about cancer and provides support for patients and their families. It also has online support groups.

Read the article: Gansler, T, et al. "Sociodemographic Determinants of Cancer Treatment Health Literacy." Cancer. Aug. 1, 2005, Vol. 104, No. 3.