Evolving attitudes towards cancer screening: a 2024 update of UK population views

BACKGROUND: This study assessed current population views about cancer screening in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, screening programme changes and new technological advances. METHODS: 18 years), recruited via the online platform, Prolific, completed a questionnaire about their views on cancer screening, using eight questions from a 2012 survey (weighted for age and sex, n = 603). We summarised participants' views, explored associations with participant characteristics using logistic regression and compared 2024 and 2012 responses using Chi-square tests. RESULTS: Public enthusiasm for cancer screening in the UK remained high with 93% believing routine screening is almost always beneficial, supported by strong beliefs that finding cancer early means treatment saves lives. Awareness of slow-growing cancers was modest at 51% but has increased since 2012. Nevertheless, most participants still wanted testing for slow-growing and untreatable cancer. Some believed they had received too few screening tests, particularly men, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those with higher educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that public appetite for screening persists even as awareness of slow-growing cancers increases, reflecting not only possible knowledge gaps but also trust, values and optimism about future treatments. Future research should explore these factors to support truly informed screening decisions.