Study: Women’s Health Fears Misplaced

WASHINGTON — Most older women fear cancer, especially breast cancer, more than other diseases and may not take precautions against bigger killers such as heart attacks and Alzheimer’s disease, a study suggests.

“If women don’t get the right information about their risk for disease, they may make the wrong decisions about their health,” James Firman, president of the National Council on the Aging, said Monday.

The council asked more than 1,000 women ages 45 to 54 what disease they fear most. More than half, 61%, said all types of cancer, while only 9% said a heart attack. Heart attacks are the No. 1 killer of American women.

Of the women surveyed, 24% said they are personally most concerned about getting breast cancer, compared with 19% who said Alzheimer’s and 7% who said lung cancer--both bigger killers than breast cancer.

The reality is that 1 in 2 women will be killed by a heart attack, 1 in 4 will die of Alzheimer’s, and lung cancer is the leading cancer killer among women. One in 25 women will die of breast cancer.

Misperceptions about health risks are causing some women to reject preventive treatments that could extend their lives, said Vincent T. Covello, a researcher who talked with small groups of aging women about their fears.

“The focus groups support the findings that much of women’s concerns about breast cancer, in particular, come from extensive media coverage on the topic, and anxiety about breast cancer encourages women to avoid other therapies that can reduce serious risks to their health,” said Covello.

For example, pills to replace the hormones women’s bodies no longer produce after menopause have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, colon cancer and the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis.

But those benefits have been overshadowed in some women’s minds by heavily publicized studies that suggest hormone replacement therapy may also be linked to a higher incidence of breast cancer, said Covello.

And although most women surveyed knew that diet and exercise could help them avoid many diseases of later life, 40% did not know that such steps as quitting smoking and reducing stress can be just as important.

In response to the findings, the council will lead a public education campaign to make sure older women know what their health risks really are.