A new study finds that the way early blood conditions like clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) are labelled significantly affects how people perceive the disease and what treatments they prefer.
Researchers from Aarhus University surveyed 802 adults from the United States and United Kingdom in February 2025. Participants were presented with vignettes describing a patient with CCUS, using different labels such as “early blood cancer” or “blood disorder,” and varying descriptions of cause, treatment type, and language style.
The study showed that calling CCUS “cancer” led to higher perceptions of seriousness and greater belief in treatment benefits. Among U.S. participants, the average seriousness rating was 4.16 when CCUS was called cancer compared to 3.47 when it was called a blood disorder. In the U.K., those numbers were 4.33 versus 3.45. Perceived treatment benefit was also higher with the cancer label in both countries.
Treatment preference shifted in the U.K. only, where participants were more likely to choose treatment when the condition was labelled as cancer. Other factors, including describing the cause as a genetic mutation or using terms like “precision medicine,” had little effect. However, U.K. respondents viewed the condition as more serious when it was described in the second person rather than the third person.
The findings suggest that language used in medical diagnoses can meaningfully shape patient perceptions and influence decisions, especially for early or borderline conditions like CCUS.
Reference
Chin-Yee B et al. Cancer labeling, risk perception, and treatment choices in clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8;(7):e2523733.
