Large swathes of people have "mythical" beliefs when it comes to the causes of cancer, a new study suggests.
Members of the public incorrectly identify stress, food additives, genetically modified foods and electromagnetic fields as causes of cancer.
Meanwhile, people had poor awareness of a number of known cancer risk factors such as obesity, eating red or processed meat or drinking alcohol, according to the Cancer Research UK-funded study.
Experts from University College London (UCL) and the University of Leeds said that the public's endorsement of mythical cancer causes has risen over the last decade - possibly due to changes in the way people access information through social media and the internet.
Researchers surveyed 1330 people in England about their beliefs on the causes of cancer.
Participants were asked how much they agreed items on a list - which included known risk factors and "mythical" factors - can increase a person's chance of developing cancer.
The study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, found that a quarter of people incorrectly believed that using a mobile phone was a risk factor for cancer while more than two in five people think stress or food additives may increase their risk.
More than a third (35 per cent) incorrectly said that electromagnetic frequencies were a risk factor while three in 10 falsely believed that living near power lines could be at play.
Aerosols, cleaning products and artificial sweeteners were all also incorrectly identified as cancer risk factors.
Meanwhile, people also failed to identify known risk factors, including drinking alcohol, not getting enough fruit and vegetables each day, low levels of physical activity and being over the age of 70.
Two in five failed to identify being overweight or obese as a cancer risk factor.
"Obesity was also poorly recognised, which is concerning considering it is the second leading preventable cause of cancer," the authors wrote.
Dr Samuel Smith, from the University of Leeds, said: "It's worrying to see so many people endorse risk factors for which there is no convincing evidence.
"Compared to past research it appears the number of people believing in unproven causes of cancer has increased since the start of the century which could be a result of changes to how we access news and information through the internet and social media.
"It's vital to improve public education about the causes of cancer if we want to help people make informed decisions about their lives and ensure they aren't worrying unnecessarily."
Clare Hyde, from Cancer Research UK, said: "Around four in 10 cancer cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes so it's crucial we have the right information to help us separate the wheat from the chaff.
