HPU Poll: Majority of North Carolina Adults Believe Early Detection Improves Breast Cancer Outcomes
HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 24, 2025 – A recent High Point University poll finds more than three quarters of North Carolinians (76%) knew that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Most North Carolinians agreed that early detection of breast cancer greatly improves treatment outcomes and said if someone in their family noticed a possible sign of breast cancer, they would encourage them to seek medical care right away.
Knowledge Ratings of Different Cancer Types
When inquiring about different cancer types and how much they know about each type, most North Carolinians indicated that they know at least “a little” about each type. They thought they knew the most about breast cancer, with nearly one-third (31%) indicating they knew “a lot” and 49% indicating that they knew “a little.”
Respondents said they knew the least about testicular cancer, with 46% indicating they knew “not much at all.”
Cancer Diagnoses in North Carolinians and Their Close Contacts
When asked if they or someone they knew had been diagnosed with cancer, 51% of North Carolinians who were surveyed said someone close to them had been diagnosed with cancer, and 9% said they themselves had been diagnosed with cancer. Additionally, 5% of respondents indicated that they themselves had been diagnosed with cancer along with someone close to them.
The most common type of cancer North Carolinians had been diagnosed with was prostate cancer (28%), followed closely by breast cancer (26%). Colon and lung cancer weren’t far behind at 21% and 18%, respectively. When asked about those close to them who had been diagnosed with cancer, respondents said that most of their close ones had been diagnosed with breast cancer (53%). This was followed by lung cancer at 38%, prostate cancer at 30% and colon cancer at 28%.
Awareness of Breast Cancer
When asked how much they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements about breast cancer, 87% of North Carolinians said they agreed (23%) or strongly agreed (64%) that if someone in their family noticed a possible sign of breast cancer, they would encourage them to seek medical care right away. North Carolinians felt that talking about breast cancer and its warning signs is important for families (51% strongly agree and 34% agree). Most North respondents felt that early detection of breast cancer greatly improves treatment outcomes (60% strongly agree and 24% agree).
“Health education and awareness efforts are clearly influencing behavior,” said Dr. Lorrie R. Davis-Dick, assistant professor and psychiatric mental health coordinator at HPU’s Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing. “A total of 639 respondents ‘strongly agreed’ and 231 ‘agreed’ that they would encourage a family member to seek medical care if they noticed a possible sign of breast cancer. Access to care remains a key factor in addressing this health disparity, and mobile breast cancer screening units are essential in bridging gaps, especially in underserved or rural areas of North Carolina.”
North Carolina Residents – Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2025 (September – October 2025)
Changing topics again. Here is a list of different types of cancer. For each one, please select whether you think you know a lot, a little, or not much at all about that type of cancer.
| A lot | A little | Not much at all | |
| Breast | 31 | 49 | 20 |
| Skin | 25 | 52 | 23 |
| Lung | 23 | 51 | 27 |
| Colon | 21 | 50 | 29 |
| Prostate | 19 | 48 | 34 |
| Ovarian | 18 | 45 | 37 |
| Brain | 15 | 45 | 40 |
| Testicular | 11 | 43 | 46 |
Have you or someone close to you been diagnosed with cancer(s)? (Note: We do not have any information about your identity apart from what you record on this survey.)
Yes, me – 9%
No – 31%
Yes, someone close to me – 51%
Yes, both me and at least one person close to me – 5%
Prefer not to respond – 3%
What type(s) of cancer have you been diagnosed? (Note: We do not have any information about your identity apart from what you record on this survey.)
| Yes | No | Unsure | Prefer Not to Respond | |
| Prostate | 28 | 67 | 4 | 2 |
| Breast | 26 | 72 | 2 | 1 |
| Colon | 21 | 76 | 3 | * |
| Lung | 18 | 80 | 3 | * |
What type(s) of cancer have people close to you been diagnosed? (Note: We do not have any information about your identity apart from what you record on this survey.)
| Yes | No | Unsure | Prefer Not to Respond | |
| Breast | 53 | 42 | 4 | 1 |
| Lung | 38 | 56 | 5 | 1 |
| Prostate | 30 | 63 | 6 | 1 |
| Colon | 28 | 64 | 7 | 2 |
Are you aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month?
Yes – 76%
No – 21%
Unsure – 4%
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of these statements:
| Strongly disagree | Disagree | Neutral | Agree | Strongly Agree | Unsure | |
| If someone in my family noticed a possible sign of breast cancer, I would encourage them to seek medical care right away | 2 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 64 | 3 |
| I believe that early detection of breast cancer greatly improves treatment outcomes. | 3 | 2 | 8 | 24 | 60 | 3 |
| If I noticed a possible sign of breast cancer in myself, I would talk to a healthcare provider immediately. | 3 | 3 | 9 | 28 | 55 | 4 |
| Talking about breast cancer and its warning signs is important for families. | 2 | 2 | 9 | 34 | 51 | 3 |
| Both men and women can develop breast cancer | 3 | 4 | 9 | 32 | 45 | 9 |
| I would feel comfortable reminding a friend or family member to get a breast cancer screening. | 3 | 3 | 15 | 31 | 44 | 3 |
| A family history of breast cancer increases a person’s risk of developing the disease. | 3 | 1 | 11 | 38 | 42 | 6 |
| I believe breast cancer awareness campaigns are effective in helping people recognize the signs of the disease. | 3 | 3 | 11 | 38 | 42 | 4 |
| Men should be just as aware of breast cancer signs as women. | 2 | 3 | 11 | 38 | 41 | 5 |
| I feel comfortable discussing breast cancer screening and signs with my family members. | 4 | 4 | 17 | 33 | 39 | 4 |
| I am aware that lifestyle factors (such as diet, alcohol use, or exercise) can influence breast cancer risk. | 3 | 4 | 14 | 35 | 37 | 7 |
| I know the common signs of breast cancer (such as lumps, nipple discharge, or skin changes). | 3 | 4 | 16 | 37 | 36 | 4 |
Methodology
HPU Poll 114 was fielded by the High Point University Survey Research Center on Sept. 30 through Oct. 18, as an online survey using a panel of respondents recruited and maintained by Dynata. Dynata sent invitations to its panel of North Carolina respondents and the SRC collected 1,000 responses (an all-adults sample) on its Qualtrics platform. All respondents were asked two screening questions to identify them as registered voters. A total of 812 respondents identified themselves as registered voters. The SRC did all data analysis. The online sample is from a panel of respondents, and their participation does not adhere to the usual assumptions associated with random selection. Therefore, it is not appropriate to assign a classic margin of sampling error for the results. In this case, for the all-adults sample, the SRC provides a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points to account for a traditional 95% confidence interval for the estimates (plus or minus 3.1 percentage points) and a design effect of 1.04 (based on the weighting). The all-adults data is weighted toward population estimates for age, gender, race, education and ethnicity based on U.S. Census numbers for North Carolina. The High Point University Survey Research Center (SRC) produces weights through an iterative procedure within SPSS. Factors such as question wording and other methodological choices in conducting survey research can introduce additional errors into the findings of opinion polls.
Further results and methodological details from the most recent survey and past surveys can be found at the Survey Research Center website. Materials online include past press releases as well as memos summarizing the findings (including approval ratings) for each poll since 2010.
The HPU Poll reports methodological details in accordance with the standards set out by AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, and the HPU Survey Research Center is a charter member of the Initiative.
Dr. Martin Kifer, chair and professor of political science, serves as the executive director of the HPU Poll for the Survey Research Center.
Dr. J.R. Moller serves as the staff director of the HPU Poll for the Survey Research Center.