Cancer assertions are ubiquitous. Which can you believe?

There’s an abundance of information regarding cancer risk circulating in media, during discussions, and across social media platforms. To assist in distinguishing truth from falsehoods, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have introduced the Cancer FactFinder. This online resource enables individuals to examine prevalent claims about cancer risk to discover if they are validated or discredited by scientific research.

Timothy Rebbeck, Vincent L. Gregory Jr. Professor of Cancer Prevention and the editor-in-chief of FactFinder, collaborated with us to construct the following quiz designed to aid readers in making healthier decisions.

1. The U.S. Surgeon General has identified alcohol use as a “major preventable cause of cancer.” True or false?

True

False

2. Studies indicate that coffee consumption most likely:

Increases cancer risk

Decreases cancer risk

3. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has noted which of the following as at least potentially carcinogenic?

Charred meat

Processed meat

Red meat

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All the aforementioned

4. Lighting specific scented candles indoors might result in exposure to carcinogens. True or false?

True

False

5. Flight crew members and pilots are at an elevated risk for particular cancers. True or false?

True

False

6. Could ingesting turmeric assist in cancer prevention?

Yes

No

Further investigation required

7. Employment of tampons heightens cancer risk. True or False?

True

False

8. Which of the following lifestyle choices heightens the risk of cancer?

Insufficient physical activity

Excess weight

Pressure

All of the aforementioned

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9. Interrupted sleep patterns impair the body’s capacity to combat cancer. True or false?

True

False

10. Which of the subsequent statements is accurate regarding skin cancer likelihood and sunscreen application?

Individuals with darker skin do not need to apply sunscreen

Sunscreen is only required on bright days

Obtaining a base tan can avert harm from sunburns

None of the above

11. African American men face a greater risk of prostate cancer. True or false?

True

False

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