Discussing 5 Common Cancer Myths and Misconceptions
An idea about how cancer spreads and how it starts, though wrong can spread quite quickly. This can seem to make a lot of sense when believed by many. Wrong ideas about cancer, or believing in misinformation, can make you worry for no reason at all. This needless worry can sometimes cause hindrances in treatment and prevention decisions.
It is very important for everyone to know the right information about a disease as delicate as cancer. The best oncology doctor in Pakistan says that understanding the right information about cancer is very important as it is an essential part of moving forward with a treatment plan.
Another thing to notice here is that cancer is a generic term for a group of diseases that can impact any part of the body. In order to know the facts and the myths about cancer, keep reading.
Myth 1: Cancer is a Death Sentence
The likelihood of dying of cancer has dropped a lot over the years. Survival rates of different cancers like prostate, breast, and thyroid cancers have increased to 90% even.
Now it must be noted that these numbers are taken out from a large number of data. How long a person survives cannot be just deduced from the fact that it is cancer.
The life span and how long a person lives depends on a number of factors like how much cancer has spread in the body, whether the cancer is fast-growing or slow growing, or if there are effective treatments available for the treatment of cancer. Another factor is the overall health of a person.
Myth 2: Sweet Food makes Cancer Worse
It has been researched that cancer cells do consume more sugar than normal cells. But there is no research study that says that sweet foods make cancer worse. It is also believed by a lot of people that cancer cells shrink and become small once you stop eating sugar.
However, a diet that is high in sugar may contribute to excess weight gain and obesity which is associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancer.
So, stop believing in these myths as these can make you feel like not eating anything. By believing in them you might stop consuming the options that are good for you.
Myth 3: Surgery and Bipopsy Always Make the Cancer Spread
Well, a lot of times, it is recommended by doctors to get a biopsy done in order to check the severity of cancer or to check if it is benign or malignant. Other times, surgery can be suggested in order to remove any kind of tumor from the body. Now, this doesn’t mean that there is zero chance of cancer spreading.
Surgeons these days use specialized tools that can help in removing the tissues from more than one area of the body without impacting the healthier tissues and cells in the body.
So, these are complete myths that getting a biopsy or surgery done can impact your speed of cancer.
Myth 4: If someone has cancer in your family, you will have too
Well, not necessarily. Cancer is caused by harmful changes or mutations in genes. Only 5 to 10 percent of cancers are caused by harmful mutations that are inherited from parents.
In families that have inherited cancer-causing mutations, multiple family members will often develop the same type of cancer. These are called as familial cancers or hereditary cancers.
The remaining 90 to 95 percent of cancers are caused by mutations that happen during a person’s lifetime. Environmental factors like smoking, radiation, and natural aging can be causes of cancer in people.
So, this one is also a myth and a piece of misinformation believed by people.
Myth 5: Herbal Products can defeat cancer
No. This is so not true. However, some of the studies suggest that alternative or complementary therapies including herbs may help with the side effects that can occur as a result of cancer treatment.
Well, there are some herbal products that if used during chemotherapy or radiation therapy can interfere with how these treatments work.
It is why very important to discuss any sort of medication that you take with your doctor. Any kind of alternative treatment must be discussed with your doctor if you are going for treatment or if you are going through one.
Conclusion
Cancer is one the most frightening diseases that can cause a lot of uncertainty in life. But it is very much important to look for the right kind of information if you know someone that is going through it. So, make sure that you try and find the right information to save yourself from pointless worrying. Try and get the treatment done as soon as yu get to know about your disease. Do not wait and make yourself physically ad mentally active.
© 2023, Aron Walter. All rights reserved.
