Does a bite cause cancer? Misperceptions of breast cancer etiology among low-income urban women in Miami, Florida.

Objectives: To explore breast cancer beliefs among a cohort of low-income, urban, English-speaking women in Miami, Florida, who had undergone screening mammography.

Methods: Four focus groups of 34 women were conducted. Discussions were transcribed verbatim and transcripts were analyzed separately by two investigators using an immersion-and-crystallization approach. Common risk factors were identified by consensus.

Results: Participants were predominantly African American (82%) women of low income (77% with a household income <$20,000/year). Common risk factors included family history, environmental factors, trauma, and sexual activity. There also was a perception that breast cancer grows rapidly and causes detectable symptoms.

Conclusions: Women voiced some accurate and numerous inaccurate beliefs regarding the causes of breast cancer, suggesting a lack of knowledge about the potential benefits and harms of screening mammography before undergoing examination. These findings highlight the importance of identifying women's underlying beliefs when initiating a discussion of breast cancer screening and prevention to ensure that messages are mutually understood.