Cancer Warning to Americans as They Are Unclear on Family Medical History [Video]

Nearly half of Americans are unaware of their family medical history, particularly when it comes to cancer, a survey shows—highlighting a lack of crucial information to help early disease detection and preventive care.

The survey, conducted by Talker Research, involving 2,000 respondents from four generations—Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers—found that 42 percent of women and 54 percent of men are unsure about potentially inherited conditions.

Twenty-two percent of the 1,000 women surveyed said they felt confident about knowing which relatives have or haven’t had cancer—though many were unsure about the specific types of cancer. Alarmingly, one-fifth of the women surveyed admitted they didn’t know their family’s cancer history at all.

Family Medical History and Cancer Risk

Newsweekdiscussed these findings with Dr. Sadie Dobrozsi, medical director …