Attribution of blame for breast and lung cancers in women.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in American women, and lung cancer is the deadliest. The etiology of breast cancer is not clear, although 85% of lung cancers are explained by cigarette smoking. A research review of the social perception of serious illness has shown that causal explanations fall into two categories: (1) patient behavior and (2) factors outside the patient's control. Presented in this review are questions concerning (1) patient coping, (2) stigma, and (3) the responses of the health care and research communities. Suggestions are made for further study of the social perception of lung and breast cancers.