Patients still trust their doctors on cancer — but faith in the FDA and CDC has taken a hit

Doctors still trusted on cancer, but health agencies aren't so lucky

Physicians remain the most trusted source of cancer information for American patients — but the same can't be said for government health agencies. A new study using the NCI's Health Information National Trends Survey found that 95.7% of respondents trusted cancer information from their doctors before the pandemic, and that figure has barely budged since. That's the good news.

The not-so-good news: trust in agencies like the CDC, NIH, and FDA has meaningfully declined since COVID-19. Researchers say poor health communication during the pandemic is largely to blame, and the damage has lingered well past the WHO's official end of the pandemic in early 2023.

The stakes are real. Patients who distrust health institutions are less likely to get cancer screenings, skip genetic testing, and are harder to keep on treatment. Experts are urging physicians to step up as proactive messengers — reinforcing agency recommendations directly with patients.

By the Numbers:

• 95.7% of respondents trusted physicians for cancer info before the pandemic — unchanged post-pandemic
• Trust in government health agencies dropped from 75.9% (pre-pandemic) to 71.7% (post-pandemic)
• Trust among young adults (18–34) fell sharply: 82.3% → 72.6%
• Trust in family/friends as a cancer info source also fell: 58.2% → 52.6%

Why it matters: As trust in public health institutions erodes, physicians become the last line of defense for delivering accurate cancer guidance. Doctors who proactively reinforce screening recommendations and agency guidelines could help fill a growing credibility gap — and potentially save lives.