An assessment of cancer education offerings in medical school, dental school, and health education curricula in New York and California.

This survey identified the extent of courses in cancer control through prevention in medical, dental, and health education curricula. A questionnaire was sent to all medical, dental, and health education academic programs in New York and California. With a return rate of 81%, it was determined that health education programs more frequently offered courses in cancer control through prevention than medical and dental programs. The majority of all academic programs studied that did not currently offer such a course reported it was unlikely such a course would be offered during the next 2 years. Primary reasons for this included an already crowded curriculum and lack of resources. Recommendations are offered to support health professionals in taking a more active role as cancer educators emphasizing primary prevention and early detection techniques.