At best, most individuals are able to recount two to three of the seven warning signs of cancer [1]. However, this finding is primarily based on free recall of symptoms personally experienced by the respondent. In the present study, a new approach is introduced as an alternative to traditional assessment of knowledge of cancer warning signs. The Knowledge of Cancer Warning Signs Inventory (KCWSI) is a 25 item self-report questionnaire which yields three scores concerning probability judgments about symptoms: basic recognition of the seven warning signs (BRCWS), the extent to which nonwarning signs are perceived to be warning signs (NSPWS), and the extent to which one can accurately discriminate between real and false positive warning signs (accurate knowledge of cancer: AKC). The KCWSI was given to a population who live in a community facing a perceived toxic waste hazard, based on the hypothesis that such a group should be cognizant of the warning signs of cancer because of the serious health threats posed by toxic exposure and the presumed need to engage in greater health preventative activities when living with such an environmental threat. Results show that basic knowledge of the seven cancer warning signs is predicted by AKC, fear of cancer, and a family history of cancer. Misperception of common distress symptoms (of anxiety, somatization, and depression) as symptoms of cancer (nonwarning signs perceived as warning signs: NSPWS) is predicted by fear of cancer, a composite scale of perceived susceptibility to cancer and other health-related problems, Global Symptom Distress, and higher order interactions among the demographic variables of race, gender, income and education. Accurate Knowledge of Cancer (AKC) is associated with lower fear of cancer and lower psychological distress than the other two knowledge measures. The Knowledge of Cancer Warning Signs Inventory yields complex information about how symptoms are perceived and may prove superior to other methods in understanding what people believe about the warning signs of cancer and how this understanding relates to health care behaviors. This study also illustrates the need to pay attention to how health information is measured.
