Why do we choose the 'quick fix' over tried-and-true cancer prevention? cover art

Why do we choose the 'quick fix' over tried-and-true cancer prevention?

Why do we choose the 'quick fix' over tried-and-true cancer prevention?

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 In this episode of From Bench to Bedside and Beyond, Fred Hutch psychologist and public health researcher Dr. Jonathan Bricker, who holds the Endowed Chair in Cancer Prevention, talks to Diane Mapes about why people embrace dietary supplements, which are unregulated by the FDA and require no safety or scientific studies, and turn away from science-based cancer prevention like the HPV vaccine. "It's not about ignorance or misinformation," Bricker said. "It's about a basic human desire to avoid discomfort and to have control." Takeaways: Many people take supplements in order to improve health and avoid cancer. But large clinical trials led by Fred Hutch have found some supplements actually promote, not prevent, cancer. At the same time, vaccine hesitancy is increasing – even for safe, long-studied vaccines that actually prevent cancer. What's the psychology behind our willingness to embrace 'quick fixes' like supplements and peptides even when there's little science behind their efficacy, and turn away from tried-and-true cancer prevention like the HPV vaccine? It's about a 'basic human desire to avoid discomfort and to have control,' Bricker said. Dietary supplements 'aren't just biological interventions, they're psychological interventions,' Bricker said, because they promise immediate action and give us agency. Public health messaging tends to take a rational approach. This triggers fear, which then drives people toward the 'quick biomedical fix.' It creates a "psychological feedback loop."
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