The Cancer Awareness Measures (CAM)
Latest CAM Key Findings
See our 2014 report and trends analysis (2008-2014)
What is the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM)?
The Cancer Awareness Measure is a validated set of questions designed to reliably assess awareness of cancer among the general population. This was developed to address the lack of a validated measure for awareness of cancer and inconsistencies in measurement.
The measure includes warning signs, help-seeking, risk factors, cancer and age and NHS screening programmes.
The CAM can be used at national, regional and local levels to monitor/track awareness over time, compare between groups, identify information needs, and monitor the impact of awareness-raising interventions.
You do not need to request permission to download the Cancer Awareness Measure or other cancer specific versions of the measure.
Please note, in 2014 the CAM was modified; specifically items were added, amended and deleted. This version of the survey has not been validated. If you would like to request a copy of the updated CAM, please email CAM@cancer.org.uk, or you can use the existing validated version.
Data is available to download for research purposes from the UK Data Archive.
Cancer Research UK’s 2014 report and trends analysis (2008-2014)
Public awareness of cancer in Britain (British Journal of Cancer, 2008)
Awareness of cancer risk factors among ethnic minority groups in England (Public Health, 2012)
Development of a measurement tool to assess public awareness of cancer
Interested in existing CAM data?
Data was first collected in Great Britain in 2008. Further waves of data collection were carried out in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
Data is available to download for research purposes from the UK Data Archive.
The CAM was first was developed by Cancer Research UK, University College London, King’s College London and University of Oxford in 2007-8.
The site specific measures for Breast, Colorectal/Bowel, Cervical, Lung and Ovarian cancer were developed with the support of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Care, Ovarian Cancer Action, The Eve Appeal, Ovacome, Target Ovarian Cancer and the Department of Health.
Studies support the validity of the CAMs as measures of cancer awareness in the general population:
Latest findings from the Cancer Awareness Measure show that on average people anticipate three barriers to seeing the GP. Barriers are more likely to be related to the service than to GP patient relations with the most commonly perceived barriers being finding it difficult to get an appointment with a particular doctor (42 percent), or at a convenient time (42 percent) and disliking having to talk to GP receptionists about symptoms (40 percent).
The analyses also shed light on other barriers that people anticipate could put them off seeing their GP. While it's not clear how significant these barriers are for actual help-seeking behaviour, greater understanding of what people perceive to be important can help inform ways to tackle barriers and support people seeking help for symptoms at the earliest opportunity.
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Our latest research on anticipated barriers to visiting the GP