BENGALURU: Here are the myths that have to be straightened with facts
Myth: If you have a family history of cancer, you will get it too.
Fact: Although having a family history of cancer increases your risk of developing the disease, it is not a complete prediction of your future health. If you have inherited certain cancer genes that put you at high risk for cancer, your doctor may recommend surgery or medications to reduce the chances.
Myth: You can be too old for cancer treatment.
Fact: There is no age limit for cancer treatment. Decisions about cancer treatment for older adults should take into consideration the same factors as for younger adults and should not focus on the person’s age alone. Many older patients benefit as much as younger patients from treatment. However, some
older adults may have other illnesses that limit the use of specific treatments.
Myth: There is no cure for cancer.
Fact: Great progress has been made over the last several years in cancer diagnostics and treatment, and many more cancers are now curable. Concerning cancer, there exists a “cured” status. A patient is declared cured if treatment is successful and the patient is in remission, which is the disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer, for a certain amount of time, depending on the type of cancer.
Myth: Radiation causes hair loss.
Fact: Because radiation is a very site-specific treatment, the symptoms and side effects are related to where the beam is aimed. Patients who receive radiation treatment on their scalp area will lose their hair, and those who receive radiation anywhere else will not lose hair on their head, but may lose hair at the site of treatment.
Myth: Only women get breast cancer.
Fact:Breast cancer occurs mainly in women, but men can get it too, because men also
have breast tissue and can develop breast cancer.
Myth: Super foods prevent cancer
Fact: Some foods such as blueberries, beetroot, broccoli, garlic and green tea are known as cancer-preventing super foods. These foods are certainly good for your health and are known to have effects considered to be helpful in the fight against cancer, such as containing antioxidants or helping to remove toxic elements in the body. However, it would be naive to look at any particular food as a protection against cancer.
Myth: Cancer treatment hurts more than it cures
Fact: One of the biggest reasons for this myth about cancer is due to the fact that many cancers are detected at a late stage where an aggressive course of treatment is usually required to have a chance of recovery. At late stages of cancer, the disease would have spread to other places in the body and survival rate is usually very low. The truth is that when cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, success rates using conventional treatment tend to be significantly higher.
Myth: Cell phones, computers and microwave ovens cause cancer through radiation Fact: When it was found that the radioactive fallout from the World War 2 atomic bombs and Chernobyl meltdown resulted in many cases of cancer caused by radiation, people began to associate radiation with cancer. The fact is that cell phones, computers and microwave ovens only use low-frequency radio waves that do not damage your genes and cause cancer.
Myth: All cancers are the same and can be treated the same way
Fact: Not only are there over 100 types of cancer, but each cancer reacts differently in different people. Even in people with the same type of tumour in the same body part, the cancer could be caused by different types of genetic changes and should be treated differently.
Myth: Cancer is very painful
Fact: It is actually quite rare for cancer to be painful. One of the biggest problems with cancer is that many types of cancer may present little to no symptoms, and diagnosis may only come at a later, advanced stage. Most of the pain that people attribute to cancer is the discomfort caused by side effects of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Myth: Only smokers get lung cancer
Fact: While smokers may have a very high risk of suffering from lung cancer, they are not the only ones. Your genetic disposition or family history can affect your risk of getting lung cancer. Exposure to substances such as asbestos, radon, uranium, arsenic and second hand smoke can also increase the chance of developing lung cancer.
Myth: Sugar makes cancer worse
Fact: This myth is likely based on a study showing that cancer cells consume more glucose (sugar) than ordinary cells. Some people came to the conclusion that sugar was effectively ‘feeding’ the cancer, which led to the belief that reducing sugar intake can ‘starve’ cancer cells. All our cells consume glucose for energy, regardless of whether they are cancerous.
Myth:Cancer is a modern disease
Fact: Cancer has only started becoming highly prominent over the last century, and many people have this notion that cancer is a disease caused by modernisation and technology. The reality is that cancer has been known for thousands of years and documented by ancient Egyptian and Greek physicians. One of the biggest reasons why cancer is a lot more common these days is mainly due to a combination of longevity and information.
The author is an HoD and Sr. Consultant Medical Oncology st Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Center, Narayana Health City.