{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T06:46:42Z","timestamp":1782456402010,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]],"date-time":"2026-06-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782172800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cancer incidence among adolescents is increasing, yet cancer risk reduction education remains largely absent from school-based curricula. This pilot study assessed whether a small-scale early, developmentally appropriate intervention could improve cancer literacy to support long-term risk reduction. This pilot study used a convergent parallel mixed-methods pre\u2013post design to evaluate two separate, 45 min, school-based cancer education interventions delivered to 24 middle-school students in Pennsylvania. The intervention delivered developmentally appropriate content on cancer biology, modifiable risk factors, genetics, HPV vaccination, and self-advocacy using a low-resource, low-investment model easy for schools to implement. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed student knowledge, awareness, and health-related perceptions. Survey data were analyzed both descriptively using frequencies and percentages and thematically. Post-intervention results demonstrated substantial improvements across all domains. Correct definition of cancer increased from 16% to 100%. Awareness of modifiable risk factors increased to 96%, sunscreen knowledge to 90%, genetic testing awareness to 83%, and HPV vaccine understanding from 21% to 57%. Students also reported increased confidence in recognizing symptoms and engaging in health-seeking behaviors. Findings suggest that small-scale, school-based cancer education interventions are feasible and effective in improving adolescent cancer literacy. These results support the need for larger, controlled studies to evaluate long-term knowledge retention and behavioral outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23070823","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,26]],"date-time":"2026-06-26T05:52:11Z","timestamp":1782453131000},"page":"823","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Small-Scale School-Based Cancer Education to Improve Awareness and Risk Reduction Knowledge Among Adolescents: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-6137-7247","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nia Imani","family":"Bailey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Byrd Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation, Drexel Hill, PA 19026, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jenna","family":"Bucolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Byrd Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation, Drexel Hill, PA 19026, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katelyn","family":"Bucolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Byrd Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation, Drexel Hill, PA 19026, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brittnee","family":"Cannon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Your Plant Based Baby, Philadelphia, PA 19406, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel","family":"Elenwo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Byrd Cancer Education and Advocacy Foundation, Drexel Hill, PA 19026, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Monique","family":"Gary","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Still Rise Farms, Perkasie, PA 18944, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-8114-3184","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Trudean","family":"Haye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ITAVFoundation, Philadelphia, PA 19138, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Kusters","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Live Like Lukas Inc., Newark, DE 19808, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1007\/s13187-021-02077-0","article-title":"Exploring youth perceptions about cancer prevention and preferences for education: A qualitative study","volume":"38","author":"Abraham","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. 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