In low-income settings, cancer is often diagnosed in advanced stages due to late presentation. Good public awareness of cancer signs and symptoms has a positive impact on the time patients take before they present to healthcare professionals. Therefore, this study examined public knowledge of cancer signs and symptoms as well as risk factors in Gaza. This was a cross-sectional study. Participants were recruited from adult visitors (≥18 years) to governmental hospitals covering all five governorates of Gaza, and adolescent students (15 to 17 years) from 10 high schools in corresponding locations. An Arabic version of the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) was completed in a face-to-face interview. It described demographic data and knowledge of: cancer prevalence, age-related risk, signs and symptoms as well as risk factors both in recall and recognition questions. Of 3033 participants invited, 2886 completed the CAM (response rate = 95.2%). Adult mean age ± standard deviation was 33.7 ± 11.7 years and that of adolescents was 16.3 ± 0.8 years. Half of the participants (n = 1457, 50.5%) were adolescent (781 females; 53.6%) and 1429 (49.5%) were adult (702 females; 49.1%). About two thirds (n = 1885) thought about cancer as unrelated to age. Only 196 participants (6.8%) identified colorectal cancer as the most common cancer among men. Awareness of cancer signs/symptoms was poor to fair, where ‘lump’ was most commonly recognized (n = 2227, 77.2%) and ‘change of bowel habit’ the least (n = 670, 23.2%). Only 217 participants (7.5%) had a good level of recognizing risk factors with ‘smoking’ being the most identified and ‘eating less than five portions of fruits and vegetables a day’ the least. There was a higher likelihood for adults to identify most cancer signs/symptoms and risk factors than adolescents, except for recalling ‘unexplained pain’, ‘persistent cough/hoarseness’, ‘non-healing ulcer’, ‘smoking’, and ‘eating less than five portions of fruits and vegetables a day’. Public awareness of cancer signs/symptoms and risk factors needs to improve to facilitate early presentation and diagnosis in Gaza. Combining the delivery of public campaigns with tailored education to population groups, including the youth, may increase their knowledge and maintain its impact.

中文翻译：

---

加沙地带癌症症状和危险因素的知识水平：一项横断面研究。

在低收入地区，由于呈报较晚，通常被诊断为晚期癌症。公众对癌症体征和症状的良好意识对患者在就诊之前花费的时间有积极影响。因此，本研究调查了公众对加沙地区癌症体征和症状以及危险因素的认识。这是一项横断面研究。参与者是从成年访客（≥18岁）招募到覆盖加沙所有五个省的政府医院以及来自相应位置的10所中学的青少年学生（15至17岁）。在面对面采访中完成了阿拉伯文版本的《癌症防卫措施》（CAM）。它描述了人口统计数据和以下方面的知识：癌症患病率，与年龄相关的风险，回忆和识别问题中的体征和症状以及危险因素。在邀请的3033名参与者中，有2886名完成了CAM（答复率为95.2％）。成人平均年龄±标准差为33.7±11.7岁，青少年平均年龄为16.3±0.8岁。一半的参与者（n = 1457，50.5％）是青少年（781名女性； 53.6％），而1429名（49.5％）是成年人（702名女性； 49.1％）。大约三分之二（n = 1885）认为癌症与年龄无关。只有196名参与者（6.8％）将结直肠癌确定为男性中最常见的癌症。对癌症体征/症状的意识差到一般，其中“肿块”最常见（n = 2227，77.2％），而“排便习惯的改变”最少（n = 670，23.2％）。只有217名参与者（7。5％的人）对危险因素的识别水平很高，“吸烟”是最容易识别的，而“每天吃少于五份的水果和蔬菜”最少。除了回忆“无法解释的疼痛”，“持续咳嗽/声音嘶哑”，“不愈合的溃疡”，“吸烟”和“少食”以外，成年人比青少年更有可能识别出大多数癌症体征/症状和危险因素。而不是每天五份水果和蔬菜”。需要提高公众对癌症体征/症状和危险因素的认识，以促进加沙地区的早期呈现和诊断。为包括青年在内的人口群体提供公共运动和针对性教育的结合，可能会增加他们的知识并保持其影响力。除了回忆“无法解释的疼痛”，“持续咳嗽/声音嘶哑”，“不愈合的溃疡”，“吸烟”和“少食”以外，成年人比青少年更有可能识别出大多数癌症体征/症状和危险因素。而不是每天五份水果和蔬菜”。需要提高公众对癌症体征/症状和危险因素的认识，以促进加沙地区的早期呈现和诊断。为包括青年在内的人口群体提供公共运动和针对性教育的结合，可能会增加他们的知识并保持其影响力。除了回忆“无法解释的疼痛”，“持续咳嗽/声音嘶哑”，“不愈合的溃疡”，“吸烟”和“少食”以外，成年人比青少年更有可能识别出大多数癌症体征/症状和危险因素。而不是每天五份水果和蔬菜”。需要提高公众对癌症体征/症状和危险因素的认识，以促进加沙地区的早期呈现和诊断。为包括青年在内的人口群体提供公共运动和针对性教育的结合，可能会增加他们的知识并保持其影响力。需要提高公众对癌症体征/症状和危险因素的认识，以促进加沙地区的早期呈现和诊断。为包括青年在内的人口群体提供公共运动和针对性教育的结合，可能会增加他们的知识并保持其影响力。需要提高公众对癌症体征/症状和危险因素的认识，以促进加沙地区的早期呈现和诊断。为包括青年在内的人口群体提供公共运动和针对性教育的结合，可能会增加他们的知识并保持其影响力。