The social perception of cancer largely determines quality of life during illness. Attitudes towards people with this type of illness depend mainly on the knowledge we have and our attitudes towards them. Nevertheless, stereotypes, which are constructed on the basis of information reaching the individual, play a very significant role in the perception of sick people. Hence the high importance of health education and the transmission of accurate knowledge.
Another problem is a lack of faith in treatment - many people say there is no effective treatment for cancer, which is a result of a wider, societal statement - public opinion on the subject. Dissemination of adequate knowledge regarding cancer should be a priority for healthcare, as much more importance is given to other, less serious diseases and it is on the basis of such a message that public opinion about cancer is built. The opinions of oncology patients undoubtedly translate into such a state of knowledge and opinion, and these relate to four main groups of problems. The first group is problems related to formalities and administration in healthcare, the second is the management of the treatment process by the patient himself, the third is the availability of treatment and the fourth is reimbursement, or in fact the difficulty of obtaining it [1].
Another noticeable element that builds up public opinion is fear. For cancer is still a concept that evokes fear, uncertainty and helplessness. Sometimes the very talk of prevention measures becomes a reason to panic. Undoubtedly, it is a highly emotive subject, but it is repeatedly associated with suffering, pain and limitations. This triggers a reaction of running away from the topic or even lowering one's mood due to the effects that the disease can have [1].
A high level of public awareness is the basis for success - especially in the context of taking preventive and precautionary action. Unfortunately, the frequent building blocks of awareness are social opinions that are not supplemented by responsive knowledge, hence the importance of oncology education [1].
