Journal of Cancer Education最新文献

{"title":"The Missing Dimension in Cancer Education: Developmental Meaning-Making and the Expert's Illusion of Symmetry.","authors":"Joaquim C Reis","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02994-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02994-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Health literacy interventions, message tailoring, and motivational strategies have substantially advanced cancer education over the past three decades. Yet persistent challenges across the cancer continuum-inconsistent screening uptake, probabilistic risk misinterpretation, and premature discontinuation of adjuvant endocrine therapy-suggest that an additional dimension, one largely absent from these otherwise sophisticated frameworks, is at work. Drawing upon constructivist epistemology, constructive-developmental theory, and extensive empirical evidence on lay meanings, this review examines the \"expert's illusion of symmetry\": the systematic tendency of oncology professionals to assume that patients organize health and illness meanings using the same multidimensional, integrated cognitive structures as clinicians. Empirical investigations across the adult lifespan and among breast cancer patients show that individuals distribute across qualitatively distinct socio-cognitive developmental levels regarding causal and preventive meanings, with prevention frequently construed at lower developmental levels than causation and Level 5 integration rarely attained spontaneously. Consequently, standard oncology messaging presupposes cognitive operations (e.g., asymptomatic disease detection, multifactorial risk, dynamic equilibrium) that recipients have not constructed. Evaluation methods that register mere recall or assent fail to detect this structural asymmetry. We propose a developmentally calibrated pedagogical framework that establishes educational practice in the patient's existing conceptual architecture while providing structured exposure to higher-order meanings via multi-level narratives. This framework is not proposed as a replacement for health literacy, tailoring, or motivational approaches, but as a complementary dimension-one capable of enhancing their effectiveness precisely because it has been surprisingly absent from them.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149118042","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Ethics of Lung Cancer Education for Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients: Addressing Diagnostic Overshadowing and Cancer Risk.","authors":"Vikas Burugu, Sivatmika Palanisami, Mary Salvatore","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02991-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02991-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease associated with a substantially increased risk of lung cancer. Yet IPF is still primarily conceptualized and communicated as a disease of progressive fibrosis. This creates an important diagnostic challenge: worsening cough, breathlessness, fatigue, functional decline, or weight loss may be attributed to progression of fibrosis even when malignancy is also a possibility. In the absence of standardized cancer surveillance guidelines for IPF, ensuring that patients understand their elevated cancer risk becomes particularly important. We argue that cancer-risk education can serve an important epistemic function. Drawing on the concept of hermeneutical injustice, we suggest that patients taught to understand their symptoms primarily through the framework of progressive fibrosis may lack an important interpretive resource for recognizing changes in their illness experience. Cancer-risk education should therefore be incorporated into initial and follow-up counseling for patients with IPF. The goal is not to make patients responsible for diagnosing cancer or to generate anxiety around every new symptom. Rather, education can close an interpretive gap, helping patients recognize that fibrosis and malignancy are not mutually exclusive explanations for clinical change and allowing them to participate as knowledgeable interpreters of their illness.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149118004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Medical Student Oncology Research Experiences Through a Comprehensive Cancer Center-Led Initiative.","authors":"Alexa Morales Arana, Gregory Disse, Samantha Wong, Kirsten Asher, Justin James Fitzgerald, Andrew Birkeland, Julie Bidwell, Shiruyeh Schokrpur, Frederick J Meyers, Mamta Parikh","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02995-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02995-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An expanding shortage in the oncology workforce alongside a declining physician-scientist pipeline underscores the urgency to engage medical students in oncology research early in training. At the [redacted] Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC), a multidisciplinary working group of clinical faculty, medical students, graduate students, and staff developed and implemented a structured framework to improve the feasibility and accessibility of oncology research for medical students. Significant barriers limiting access were identified, including unclear expectations, difficulty identifying mentors, and limited familiarity with research process amongst trainees. This initiative demonstrates how NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) can leverage existing infrastructure to connect students with meaningful oncology research opportunities and, in doing so, build a more inclusive and representative oncology workforce. The approach described here is adaptable to other specialties and institutions seeking to improve medical student participation in research, broaden participation in academic medicine, and strengthen physician-scientist development.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the Wound: Cancer Education for Psychological Recovery After Extremity Sarcoma Surgery.","authors":"Ariyachart Kalawa, Passakorn Ongarj, Ratchadaporn Ungcharoen","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02993-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02993-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recovery after extremity sarcoma surgery is customarily judged by the visible evidence of healing. Yet for patients whose tumor involved an arm or a leg, recovery is also a psychological process of adapting to altered function, dependence, changed appearance, and continuing uncertainty. This reflection argues that cancer education may prepare patients thoroughly for the physical trajectory of healing while leaving the emotional trajectory less explicitly addressed, and that screening identifies depressive symptoms without helping patients understand what those symptoms may mean for their recovery. We propose psychological recovery literacy as a longitudinal educational goal that helps patients and families understand emotional change, recognize when support may be needed, and know where to seek it. A healed wound should not be mistaken for a recovered person.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149117953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indigenous Cancer Survivors in Peer Education and Community Knowledge Exchange: A Scoping Review.","authors":"Roison Andro Narvaez, Marilane Ferrer, Ralph Antonio Peco, Joylyn Mejilla, Josephine De Leon","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02992-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02992-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Indigenous people affected by cancer often encounter services that do not reflect their languages, relationships, knowledge systems, or community priorities. Survivor narratives are used in cancer education, yet the educational work undertaken by survivors has not been mapped. This scoping review examined the roles, formats, reported outcomes, and conditions shaping implementation when Indigenous cancer survivors participated in peer education and community knowledge exchange. Following Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and the reporting guideline for scoping reviews, six databases were searched from inception through July 2026. Twenty-one reports published between 2005 and 2026 were included. Survivor knowledge moved in three overlapping directions: between survivors through reciprocal support, outward to communities through education and storytelling, and toward organizations through co-design, navigation, advocacy, and service learning. Survivors served as peer educators, storytellers, advisors, advocates, resource co-creators, and knowledge stewards. Their activities produced peer sessions, performances, videos, digital stories, service priorities, navigation guidance, and community archives. Program evaluations reported cancer learning, greater comfort discussing cancer, reduced treatment anxiety, increased confidence sharing information, information seeking, and higher screening intention. Other reports described feeling less alone, healing and affirmation, culturally safer engagement, community-defined priorities, and survivor or community control over the representation and circulation of stories. Resourcing survivor leadership may strengthen cancer education while protecting reciprocity, cultural authority, and community control.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149082417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subjective Financial Strain and Fatalistic Beliefs about Cancer Among U.S. Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Dukanwojo Beulah Suleman","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02986-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02986-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer fatalism-beliefs that cancer is inevitable, unpreventable, and closely associated with death-has been identified as a barrier to cancer prevention and early detection behaviors. Although socioeconomic disparities in cancer fatalism are well documented, most studies have relied on objective indicators of socioeconomic status, potentially overlooking the role of perceived financial circumstances. This study examined the association between subjective financial strain and cancer fatalistic beliefs among U.S. adults. Data were obtained from the 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 7), a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults (n = 5,824). Subjective financial strain was measured using respondents' perceived ability to live on their present income. Cancer fatalism was assessed using three widely used items reflecting beliefs that everything causes cancer, that cancer prevention is not possible, and that thinking about cancer automatically evokes thoughts of death. Survey-weighted ordinal logistic regression models were estimated for each outcome. Models were first estimated unadjusted and subsequently adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, annual household income, family history of cancer, personal history of cancer, and health insurance status. Average marginal effects and predicted probabilities were calculated to facilitate interpretation. Fatalistic cancer beliefs were common among U.S. adults. Greater subjective financial strain was consistently associated with stronger endorsement of fatalistic beliefs. In fully adjusted models, compared with respondents living comfortably, those reporting greater financial difficulty had significantly higher odds of agreeing that everything causes cancer (OR = 1.53-3.11), that there is not much that can be done to lower cancer risk (OR = 1.21-1.41), and that thinking about cancer automatically evokes thoughts of death (OR = 1.54-2.43). Predicted probabilities showed a graded association, with stronger fatalistic beliefs observed among respondents reporting greater financial difficulty. Associations were most pronounced for beliefs concerning cancer ubiquity and cancer-related mortality. Subjective financial strain was independently associated with stronger cancer fatalistic beliefs among U.S. adults after accounting for objective socioeconomic status and other sociodemographic and health-related characteristics. These findings suggest that perceived financial circumstances may represent an important socioeconomic correlate of cancer fatalism and highlight the need for longitudinal research to clarify the temporal relationship between financial strain and cancer fatalistic beliefs.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149065704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mixed-Stage Radiation Oncology Training Within a National Cross-Specialty Oncology Program: Educational Outcomes and Regulatory Implications.","authors":"Kamel Debbi, Pierre Loap, Anne Laprie, Gilles Créhange, Laurent Zelek, Florence Huguet, Rosine Guimbaud, Yazid Belkacemi","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02985-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02985-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>France's national cross-specialty oncology training program (Transversal Specialized Training, FST) includes 6-month rotations in medical oncology and radiation oncology. For selected specialties, a mixed-stage pathway may replace the standard radiation oncology rotation with 3 months in radiation oncology plus 3 months in medical oncology or an oncology-certified parent-specialty service. We explored this alternative pathway's educational outcomes. We conducted an exploratory subgroup analysis of 19 residents who completed mixed-stage FST training within a nationwide FST evaluation cohort (n = 203). Outcomes included satisfaction across nine radiation oncology domains, pedagogical evaluations, organization preferences, perceived adequacy of a 3-month radiation oncology placement, and subsequent oncological engagement. Mixed-stage participants (mean age 30.5 ± 1.6 years; 10 males) were residents in urology (n = 7), dermatology (n = 5), hepato-gastroenterology (n = 3), endocrinology (n = 2), and pulmonology (n = 2). Most completed sequential training (16/19), which was also the preferred organization (17/19). Overall, six residents (31.6%) achieved high general satisfaction, defined as a composite score ≥ 7/10. Satisfaction varied substantially by specialty: both pulmonology residents achieved high satisfaction, whereas no hepato-gastroenterology resident did. Patient communication scored highest (6.47 ± 2.61), while clinical research training was lowest-rated (3.79 ± 2.27). High oncological engagement was reported by 8 of 19 residents. Mixed-stage radiation oncology training showed heterogeneous educational outcomes and variable implementation across specialties. Within the limits of this small exploratory analysis, these findings support prioritizing standardized 6-month radiation oncology rotations, or at minimum strictly auditable criteria when mixed-stage pathways are authorized.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149041570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radiation Oncology Training for Non-Oncology Specialists: A National Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a French Cross-Specialty Program.","authors":"Pierre Loap, Kamel Debbi, Anne Laprie, Gilles Créhange, Laurent Zelek, Florence Huguet, Rosine Guimbaud, Yazid Belkacemi","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02984-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02984-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The French Formation Spécialisée Transversale in oncology (FST), introduced in 2017, aims to provide oncological competencies to residents from non-oncology specialties through a one-year curriculum combining theoretical oncology teaching with two mandatory six-month rotations in medical and radiation oncology. Evidence regarding the educational outcomes of the radiation oncology part of the program remains limited. We conducted a national cross-sectional mixed-methods study between June and August 2025 among physicians who had completed the FST radiation oncology rotation between 2018 and 2025 (n = 203 respondents) and radiation oncology supervisors (n = 16 respondents). Primary outcomes included trainee satisfaction across nine radiation therapy (RT) learning domains (10-point scale), supervisor-assessed competencies, and post-training professional engagement. Multivariable analyses explored predictors of satisfaction and outcomes. Participants had a mean age of 29.6 ± 2.4 years, 65.5% were female, and the most represented specialties were hepato-gastroenterology (33.5%) and pulmonology (30.5%). Satisfaction varied markedly across domains, with highest ratings for patient communication (7.45 ± 2.47; 75.4% ≥7) and lowest for clinical research training (4.02 ± 2.68; 24.1% ≥7). General satisfaction differed by specialty, ranging from 7.90 ± 1.15 in neurology (85.7% high satisfaction) to 5.67 ± 2.05 in hepato-gastroenterology (32.4%). In retrospective supervisor assessments, theoretical RT knowledge was rated at 3.06 ± 1.39 for the beginning of the rotation and 7.19 ± 1.05 for rotation completion. Specialty-relevant RT competencies received the highest ratings (8.00 ± 1.26; 87.5% ≥7). High oncological engagement (≥ 70% clinical time) was observed in 55.7% of participants and showed no significant association with rotation satisfaction (r = 0.08, p = 0.25). The FST radiation oncology rotation was associated with heterogeneous trainee experiences across domains and specialties. Trainees reported strong satisfaction for communication and toxicity management but limited satisfaction for research training and autonomy, while supervisors reported favorable assessments of theoretical knowledge and specialty-relevant competencies at rotation completion. These findings support the development of specialty-adaptive curricula within a standardized national training framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149031759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Cancer Education Outcomes and Risk Perception Among 11th Grade Students in Japan: A Second National Survey.","authors":"Mahiro Fujita, Ryoko Rikitake, Risa Ikeda, Hiroko Yako-Suketomo, Takahiro Higashi","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02983-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s13187-026-02983-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149031764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Getting Real About Colorectal Cancer Education (GRACCE): Pilot Evaluation of a Community-Led Education Program.","authors":"Rachel Hirschey, Jingle Xu, Alison T Brenner, Stephanie B Wheeler, Paulette Duggins","doi":"10.1007/s13187-026-02940-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-026-02940-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence is rising among young adults, highlighting the need for targeted education and prevention. Community-informed approaches are often more effective and sustainable than traditional top-down health education models because they integrate community knowledge and lived experience from the outset. The [blinded], a non-profit organization, developed GRACCE (Getting Real About Colorectal Cancer Education), a peer-led, ambassador-driven education program adapted from an evidence-based curriculum to increase CRC awareness among young adults. This pilot project recruited student ambassadors from five [blinded] universities completed a three-session training and weekly coaching to deliver campus-based CRC education. Pilot evaluation included immediate post-session attendee surveys assessing behavioral intentions, perceived knowledge, and satisfaction. Six in-person and virtual sessions reached 118 attendees; 95 (77%) completed surveys. On a 1-5 scale, participants reported strong intentions to exercise more (M = 4.67), discuss screening (M = 4.63), learn family history (M = 4.65), reduce red/processed meat (M = 4.36), and reduce alcohol use (M = 4.54). Perceived knowledge gains were high for CRC, screening, and risk factors (Ms = 4.80-4.83). Satisfaction with session location, length, and content was high. This community-led, ambassador-driven model was feasible, acceptable, and associated with improved CRC knowledge and prevention intentions among young adults. GRACCE offers a scalable peer-delivered model to enhance CRC awareness and prevention among younger populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":50246,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cancer Education","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148931724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}