Public awareness of childhood, teenager and young adult cancer signs and symptoms in Great Britain: across-sectional survey - Original research - Abstract - Results - Conclusions

Q: What was the study’s primary objective?

To assess public awareness of cancer risks and symptoms for children, teenagers, and young adults under 18 years in Great Britain.

Q: How was public awareness measured in the study?

A face-to-face computer-assisted opinion survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI among a population-based sample of 1000 adults aged over 18 years.

Q: What did the study find about recognition of symptoms?

Only 32% of respondents felt confident recognising CTYA cancer signs and symptoms, and participants identified an average of 10.6 out of 42 classic symptoms. Puberty-related and early-life developmental signs were among the least recognised.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Anna Hans

Objectives assess public awareness of childhood, teenager and young adult (CTYA) cancer risks and symptoms (<18 years) in Great Britain. A face-to-face computer-assisted opinion survey by Ipsos MORI questioned 1000 adults (>18 years), including households with children aged 6–15. Only 32% felt confident recognising CTYA cancer signs and symptoms. Respondents identified 10.6 of 42 classic signs on average; key recognised symptoms included lumps, blood in urine or stool, and changes to moles, while puberty-related and early-life developmental signs were least recognised. Findings indicate substantial knowledge gaps and support a targeted child cancer awareness campaign.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Introduction

Background and burden

Diagnostic delay and symptom complexity

Study rationale

Key findings (study summary)

Original research ► Additional supplemental material is published online only. To view, please visit the journal online ([http://dx.doi](http://dx.doi). org/10.1136/archdischild- 2023-325841) . 1Lifespan and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK 2Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, Leicester, UK 3Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK Correspondence to Jo-Fen Liu, Lifespan and Population Health, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK; [jo-fen.liu@nottingham.ac.uk](jo-fen.liu@nottingham.ac.uk) Received 18 May 2023 Accepted 9 August 2023 Published Online First 17 October 2023 © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. To cite: Liu J-F, Shanmugavadivel D, BallGamble A, et al. Arch Dis Child 2023;108:987–993 . Public awareness of childhood, teenager and young adult cancer signs and symptoms in Great Britain: across-sectional survey Jo-Fen Liu , 1,2 Dhurgsharna Shanmugavadivel, 1 Ashley Ball-Gamble ,2 Angela Stewart,2 David Walker ,3 on behalf of Child Cancer Smart Awareness Campaign ABSTRACT Objectives To assess public awareness of the risks and symptoms of cancer in children, teenagers, and young adults (CTYA) aged <18 years in Great Britain. Methods A face-to-face computer-assisted opinion survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI. Participants were a population-based sample of 1000 adults (475 men, 525 women) aged >18 years, with 26% having children aged 6–15 in their households. Questions covered perception about cumulative cancer risk, confidence in recognising signs and symptoms, recognition and perceived urgency of classical signs and symptoms. Results Only 32% of respondents felt confident in recognising CTYA cancer signs and symptoms. Symptoms deemed to require medical assessment within 48 hours by over 50% of participants included seizures/fits, blood in urine or stool, and persistent vomiting. All symptoms except one were selected for assessment within 3 months. On average, respondents identified 10.6 out of 42 classical signs and symptoms. The most recognised symptoms included lump, swelling in pelvis, testicle or breast (46%), blood in urine or stool (44%), changes to moles (43%), lump/swelling in the chest wall or armpits (41%) and weight loss (40%) . The least recognised symptoms were early/late puberty (10%), developmental delay in children aged <2 years (11%) and slow growth (13%), with 8%, 2% and 6%, respectively, perceiving no need to discuss them with a doctor. Conclusions Public awareness of childhood cancer risks and symptoms is substantially lower compared with adult cancer awareness in Great Britain. These findings indicate knowledge and awareness gaps among the general public, highlighting the need for a child cancer awareness campaign. INTRODUCTION Childhood cancer has been declared a global disease burden by the World Health Organization.1 It is the leading cause of death in children over the age of 1 year and also a major cause of acquired disability linked to brain involvement and associated damage.2 Five-year overall survival in Europe is approximately 81% in children and 87% in adolescents/young adults.3 In the UK, about 3755 new cases are diagnosed annually in children and young people under the age of 24 years.4 Survival rates have been reported to lag behind those in the rest of Europe.5 Evidence in Wilms’ tumours also shows | WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC | | --- | | ⇒ Children and young people (0–18 years) present with non-specific symptoms mimicking other more common ailments.
⇒ Public awareness of adult cancer symptoms is high, but there is a paucity of research/largescale survey on public perception of childhood cancer risk, signs and symptoms.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS | | ⇒ Perceived rarity of cancer in children is one of the key barrie

FAQs

What was the study’s primary objective?

To assess public awareness of cancer risks and symptoms for children, teenagers, and young adults under 18 years in Great Britain.

How was public awareness measured in the study?

A face-to-face computer-assisted opinion survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI among a population-based sample of 1000 adults aged over 18 years.

What did the study find about recognition of symptoms?

Only 32% of respondents felt confident recognising CTYA cancer signs and symptoms, and participants identified an average of 10.6 out of 42 classic symptoms. Puberty-related and early-life developmental signs were among the least recognised.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Anna Hans