The morbidity and mortality rates for cancer are higher for blacks than for whites. The following three contending theories offer possible explanations for these rates: (1) the histology types among cancers of the same site are distributed differently for blacks and whites; (2) there is increased susceptibility in lower social classes, of which many blacks are members; and (3) early detection of cancer is less frequent among minority populations. The latter explanation shows the necessity for developing educational interventions to increase cancer awareness. To design these interventions and to assess the community understanding of cancer, a survey on cancer awareness was conducted. The findings were the following: (1) knowledge of cancer warning signs was high; (2) myths about cancer and its treatment were believed slightly more by women than men; (3) there was optimism that a cure would be found; and (4) cancer-related medical care behavior was fair to good. These findings imply that interventions are needed to demystify cancer, to increase the involvement of medical personnel in early detection, and to develop continuing education programs especially for older people. This paper includes a list of 23 references and 9 tables of statistics. (VM)