Abstract
Background. Media are popular sources of cancer information, yet little is known about how survivors are depicted. Methods. This study analyzes coverage of cancer survivors in a nationally representative sample of newspapers and television newscasts. Stories were coded for cancer type, gender, age, survivorship length and status, treatment types, and spirituality, among other variables. Results. Media provide limited information about survivors. Also, although breast cancer coverage was close to survivorship rates, nearly every other cancer type was underreported for both incidence and survivorship rates. Conclusions. Inaccurate media coverage may be contributing to public misunderstanding about cancer survivorship.
Notes
Presented at the American Association for Cancer Education annual meeting, Birmingham, AL, October 11–13, 2007.
Supported by grants CA109694 (to EPB) and AA10377 (to MDS).