Table 3 Beliefs and knowledge about cancer and cancer screening

 Robustness

I am healthy and do not think that I will have cancer.

 Anxiety

I might have cancer someday although I do not express this feeling. Therefore, I purchased private cancer insurance for myself.

 Death sentence

I would think that I had received a death sentence. I would spend all of my money and would think I was going to die if I had cancer.

 Early detection and treatment

Screening would help me detect cancer and get early treatment if I had cancer.

 Relief or safety

I was relieved after I underwent cancer screening and heard I did not have cancer.

 Taking advantage of the medical payment support program from the government

If I had cancer, I would get financial help from the National Health Insurance because I had cancer screening as requested by the National Cancer Screening program.

 No symptoms

I did not have cancer screening because I was not sick.

 Self-care when having symptoms

My friend had stomach pains and self-diagnosed and self-treated by taking antacids such as Galpos. I told them to go to the hospital for screening, and they were diagnosed with stomach cancer.

 Distrust of tests, doctors, and hospitals

Cancer screening tests, especially conducted by the National Cancer Screening program, are too simple and perfunctory and have made many misdiagnoses. Therefore, I do not trust results of cancer screening tests.

I do not trust small clinics or hospitals in regional areas because they are lower in quality than large hospitals in big cities. Large hospitals have the newest medical equipment, and doctors at big hospitals have much more experience from seeing many cancer patients.

 Unkind health care providers

From my experiences with cancer screening, I do not like the coldness in the nurses’ voices. Health care providers at hospitals who provide services were unkind and bothered me.

 Financial issues

The national cancer screening program provides us with inexpensive or free basic cancer screening tests, but I have to pay more money for in-depth medical examinations, which is a burden for me.

 Discomfort during cancer screening

I do not like being naked in bed for the pap-smear test and drinking water-like medicine for colonoscopies. Mammograms hurt my breasts, so I do not like to have breast cancer screening.

 Confidence

I can get cancer screening if I want to.

I received a call from a clinic and was asked to get cancer screening. I went to the clinic and the health care providers told me what to do to get cancer screening at the clinic or a hospital.

 Family history

Cancer has a heredity basis

 Food

Burnt food causes cancer.

Food that is too salty and spicy causes cancer.

 Infection

If you do not sleep with a man, you do not have cervical cancer.

 Stress

Lots of stress causes cancer.

 Personality

An introvert who does not get angry and makes sacrifices would be more likely to get cancer.

 Body overuse

People who use their shoulders and hands a lot, such as hairdressers or butchers, are more likely to get breast cancer.