Educating Older Adults About Their Increased Cancer Risk

The Cancer Program for Older Citizens (CAPROC) achieved positive, although modest, changes in the cancer-related knowledge and beliefs of older adults, with these impacts sustained for months after the program. Participants were more likely subsequently to discuss cancer detection tests with their physicians. Even with strenuous efforts to reach the broadestrange of older adults, formal education played a significant role in determining program impact. CAPROC also demonstrated one way that the needs of a community-based health education and program evaluation can be reconciled.