One of the things that often happens to me as a cancer blogger is that companies approach me about their latest offerings. My goal is to help cancer caregivers find ways to utilize education and information to help a loved one manage the disease.
Towards that end, I was approached by a representative of Lilly Oncology Initiative, as part of a public awareness campaign of cancer, cancer treatment, and what it all means in the bigger scheme of things. Called the PACE Study, the conducted survey queried people in six countries (Germany, Italy, France the UK, Japan, and the US) to find out what the public believes about cancer, new oncology treatments, and the future for cancer patients. I want to share with you some of the highlights of that study in the form of a pop quiz, so put on your thinking cap and see what you really know about cancer perception around the globe:
1. When facing cancer, the country with the highest percentage of people who believe they can be helped by treatment is:
A. The UK
B. Japan
C. Germany
D. The US
2. Cancer is:
A. A single disease that can grow anywhere in the body and spread to other parts.
B. Ten types of malignant cells that can appear in specific organs and grow.
C. A contagious disease that is spread through poor sanitation and risky behavior.
D. A group of more than 200 diseases which are of biologic, genetic, and environmental origin.
3. Typically, only five percent of cancer patients participate in clinical drug trials. What is the percentage of people in the PACE study who think cancer patients should have greater access to these trials?
A. 70%
B. 52%
C. 21%
D. 8%
4. In the survey, 6 out of 10 have the perception that the goal of pharmaceutical companies is to:
A. cure cancer
B. treat cancer
C. medicate cancer patients
D. only develop drugs that are popular
5. How many people surveyed expressed satisfaction with the progress of cancer treatment over the last 20 years?
A. 82%
B. 60%
C. 47%
D. 35%
6. Which of the six countries surveyed had the fewest respondents concerned with current economic factors slowing down cancer research?
A. The US
B. The UK
C. Japan
D. Italy
7. Which country had the most survey respondents who were satisfied with the amount of money its country spent on cancer research?
A. Japan
B. France
C. The US
D. The UK
8. How many people surveyed would be willing to share their medical records in order to improve cancer research and treatment?
A. 90%
B. 65%
C. 42%
D. 18%
9. PACE stands for:
A. Pharmaceutical Action Committee Executives
B. Patients’ Act for Cancer Education
C. Patient Access to Cancer care Excellence
D. Pharmaceutical Association Cancer Education
10. PACE is:
A. a group of the top ten pharmaceutical companies working to develop medications for cancer patients
B. a global council of patient advocates, medical professionals, policy activists, scientific researchers, and health care leaders working together to improve cancer care.
C. a group of international oncologists, cancer support groups, and lobbyists seeking to improve access to cancer treatment
D. an organization of cancer advocates who want more research
THE ANSWERS ARE:
1. D. The US — 65% don’t feel that cancer is necessarily a death sentence any more. Many cancers are now better managed as a chronic disease, and some are even curable.
2. D. Cancer is a range of diseases that can be caused by a number of different kinds of factors.
3. A. 70% believe these trials should be more accessible.
4. B. Pharmaceutical companies are now working to educate the public on their research and development programs to find cures for the different types of cancer.
5. B. Six out of ten people surveyed expressed satisfaction with progress in fighting cancer.
6. C. Japan
7. B. France
8. A. Nine out of ten would be willing to share their medical records in an effort to improve cancer research and treatment, although some people expressed concern about how the data would be used.
9. C. Patient Access to Cancer care Excellence
10. B. The PACE network has a global council of patient advocates, medical professionals, policy activists, scientific researchers, and health care leaders working together to improve cancer care.
Did you get all the answers correct? Perception is a very important issue in the fight against cancer. The more you know, the better able you will be to access information that can help you and your loved one manage this disease, the treatment for it, survive it, and thrive with it.
If you would like to know more about the PACE study, you can follow this link: