Cancer is the most dreaded illness. It is often considered the end of life and a death sentence. The internet is rife with misconceptions and misinformation about cancer , it’s causes and treatment. These myths are often passed around though family and well wishers causing extra stress for the patient.

Let’s debunk some of the most common myths associated with cancer.

  1. Cancer is always fatal.
    This isn’t true in today’s world. With better cancer screening and detection methods, most cancer are now found out in early stages and can be treated fully. Also with newer advances in surgical techniques, improvement in radiation technologies, newer chemotherapy drugs , targeted therapy and immunotherapy , most cancers can now be cured.
  2. I lead a healthy lifestyle,so I cannot get cancer. I don’t need health check ups.
    Cancer is always caused by a genetic change. Thus though eating healthy diet and maintaining a good lifestyle decrease the risk of cancer , it cannot eliminate the risk totally.
  3. Cancer is contagious.
    No cancer is not a contagious disease. It doesn’t not spread with touch , living together or sharing food.
  4. Biopsy can lead to spread of cancer.
    This is a total misconception that disturbing the cancer cells can lead them to spread to other parts. Biopsy is an essential test for confirmation of cancer. However there are certain situations where it is avoided like in testicular cancer. Your doctor is the right person to advice it or not.
  5. Eating sugar helps cancer cell grow.
    Cancer cells do utilise body’s energy in form of glucose or sugar for their growth. But it is also needed by normal cells, so cutting out sugar totally from your diet will not only starve the cancer cells but also the normal cells , thus impairing their fighting back mechanism .
  6. Surgery is the only option for cancer treatment.
    Most people think getting the cancer out of their body is the most important treatment for cancer. Surgery is an integral part of management of most solid cancers but it is not always necessary. It’s use depends on the site and stage of cancer and also on patients general health. Like some cancers can be treated only with radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, some early stage cancers only need surgery and some cancers need chemotherapy or radiotherapy before surgery. In some cancers like blood cancer surgery is not at all required.
  7. Chemotherapy has severe side effects and is intolearble.
    Cancer cells are rapidly growing abnormal cells but there are other cells in our body which also g rapidly like hair cells, gut lining cells, blood cells etc. Chemotherapy is the use of medicines given through blood. It acts on all fast growing cells cancer ces beside cancer cells. The effect of chemotherapy on these other cells cause the side effects. But normal cells can repair the damage unlike the cancer cells and these side effects are often predictable and transient. Your doctor ll always prescribe some medicines along with chemotherapy to prevent or treat these side effects which will then recover. Also chemotherapy doses are individualised as per each patients height and weight ,so are tolerated well.
  8. Cancer treatment is painful and worse than disease.
    Cancer treatment itself is not painful . However there can ne so e pain at times due to different reasons like due to surgery , at the injection site, because of the disease or some side effects . It is at most times for short duration and easily manageable.
  9. Radiation treatment makes the patient radioactive.
    Most radiation treatment machines produce high energy photons using
    electric and magnetic feilds without use of any radiotive source .These rays when projected to the localised area of treatment gets absorbed there and don’t stay in the body. When radioactive sources are used as in brachytherapy, they are for short duration and reach only a short distance around the tumour only.
  10. Hair never grows back after cancer treatment.
    This is not true. Hair loss due to chemotherapy is a temporary side effect which will grow back soon after stopping the treatment. Also not all chemotherapy drugs cause it.
  11. Microwaving food can cause cancer.
    Microwaves use the water contained in the food itself for heating and doesn’t procure any radioactivity. It is not associated with causing cancer.
  12. Use of mobile phones or presence of cell phone towers nearby can
    cause cancer.
    There is no proven research till now to show that use of mobile phones or rays from mobile phone towers can increase cancer risk. Mobile phones are shown to emit low frequency and low energy waves not enough to damage the DNA.
  13. If nobody in my family had cancer, I will not get it.
    Genetic changes causing cancer can be sporadic and arise in your own body without having inherited it from your parents or family. Risk factors like smoking, drinking, obesity and unhealthy diet play in crucial role in leading to cancer.
  14. If I have a family history of cancer, I will also get it.
    This is also not necessary that if you have inherited the cancer causing genes , they will manifest in your body for sure. Only 5 to 10% of cancers are familial. However the risk will increase in presence of above mentioned risk factors.
  15. Cancer will always recur.
    Every cancer had a different course depending on its type and stage . Some cancers have a tendency to come back early despite best treatment a day some cancers once tarted do not come back. Most cancers when caught in early stage and treated ate will have a lasting cure.
  16. All cancer patients get the same treatment.
    No . Cancer patient’s treatment is specific to their type,location ,stage and t patient’s own alth condition. It can now also be presonilsed based on yothe patient’senetic and molecular profile. Also even if two patients with same cancer type may get the same drugs or undergo same surgery or get same dose and ietechnique of diation , their bodies may repopond differently.
  17. There are no symptoms of cancer so it can’t be detected beforehand.
    It is true that there is no single distinct or alarming sign or symptom of cancer. But any unusual change in your body should raise your suspicion to reach out to a doctor. Regular screening and health check ups can help detect the cancers even before they produce any symptom.
  18. Cancer also happens to those who don’t smoke , use tobacco or drink alcohol, so there is no need to quit.
    This is the most common argument given by smokers, tobacco users and alcoholics. It is important to understand that though not all users will get cancer but it increases the risk many folds . Also smoking, tobacco use and alcohol are responsible for other diseases like heart disease, stroke, lung problems etc.

 

Dr. Gagan Saini
Dr. Gagan Saini
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