National Cancer Research Month, which takes place in May, celebrates the continued efforts of researchers who devote their careers to better understanding and treating cancer. In order to assist individuals navigate the confusing web of disinformation, we've put together this list of 10 cancer related misconceptions.
The World Health Organization ''who'' estimates that cancer will be responsible for 10.4 million deaths globally in 2020. It is a major cause of death on a global scale.
According to estimates, 39.6% of people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives.
Myths frequently arise in relation to conditions that are extremely common. Therefore it is not surprising that individuals frequently misinterpret cancer.
A set of disorders that can affect any region of the body collectively go by the name "cancer." This variation just serves to further the misunderstanding.
1. Cancer Spreads Easily.
This is untrue. Cancer cannot be spread. Cancer cannot be passed from one person to another.
However, some STIs, such as the hepatitis B and C virus and the human papillomavirus (HPV), can result in cervix and liver malignancies. In some situations, a contagious agent rather than cancer itself causes the disease.
As an intriguing side note, researchers have confirmed that malignancies in some species, notably Tasmanian devils and dogs can result in lethal transmissible cancers, namely devil face tumour illness and canine transmissible venereal tumour.
2. Cancer is a Death .
Cancer is not always fatal. Despite the grim stati stics shown above, not all cases of cancer are fatal.
Recovery rates are increasing as more is learned about cancer and better therapies are developed.For instance, according to a trusted source estimate, 16.9 million cancer survivors were residing in the US as of January 2019. In the past 40 years, survival rates in the United Kingdom have doubled.
It's important to remember that survival rates differ considerably depending on the kind of cancer. For instance, survival rates for pancreatic cancer are below 1% in the U.K. compared to 98% for testicular cancer.
Since the 1990s, the probability of dying from cancer has decreased steadily in the United States. Some malignancies, such breast, prostate, and thyroid tumours, now have 5-year survival rates of 90% or higher. For all malignancies combined, the 5-year survival rate is presently at 67%.
Although certain malignancies have higher survival rates than others, overall cancer death rates are steadily dropping. In 2020, Cancer Trusted Source will publish an annual report on the state of cancer in the United States. Its findings are as follows,
cancer death rates declined 1.5% on average every year throughout 2001 to 2017.”
3. Mobile Phone Cause Cancer
There is no proof that cell phones cause cancer as of now. The fact that these gadgets generate radiofrequency radiation, a type of non-ionizing radiation, is one of the reasons this myth came to be. This radiation is absorbed by the body.
Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, is known to raise the chance of developing cancer. Radiofrequency radiation, on the other hand, is non-ionizing radiation and does not raise the chance of developing cancer.
There is presently no conclusive proof that non-ionizing radiation raises the risk of cancer in people, despite the fact that several research have looked at the possible health consequences of non-ionizing radiation from sources such as radar, microwave ovens, mobile phones, and others.
4. sweeteners cause cancer.
There is currently no solid proof that artificial sweeteners raise the risk of developing cancer.
Why this misconception could have developed is provided by the National Cancer Institute,
Early research revealed that saccharin and cyclamate together induced bladder cancer in experimental animals, raising questions about the link between artificial sweeteners and cancer.
However, they add that additional research "has not clearly demonstrated a connection with cancer in people. In a similar vein, research on other sweeteners ''Food and Drug Administration FDA'' allowed has not produced convincing proof of a link to human cancer.
In a similar vein, a research on aspartame and cancer that included data from more than 500,000 people and was deemed trustworthy Source found no correlations between aspartame use and lymphoma, leukaemia, or brain cancer.
5. Power Lines Cause Cancer.
This is a myth as well. Power lines generate non ionizing, extremely low frequency ELF magnetic fields, which are not carcinogenic. According to the American Cancer Society Trusted Source
The potential impact of ELF magnetic fields on cancer in rats and mice has been investigated in a number of significant research. Animals used in these research are subjected to magnetic fields that are substantially greater than those that people typically experience at home . The majority of these investigations have not discovered an increase in the risk of any cancer type. In fact, animals exposed to ELF radiation actually had a decreased chance of developing various forms of cancer.
The American Cancer Society adds that some research has discovered a modest rise in leukaemia risk for kids who live close to electricity lines. The causes of this, nevertheless, are yet unknown.
Dr. Joel Newman, a consultant haematologist and the specialty lead for pathology at the UK's East Sussex Healthcare Trust, talked with Medical News Today. He places the risk in context,
There are many other activities we do on a daily basis that put us at a much larger danger than these could possibly do, such as smoking and alcohol usage, and we have no solid evidence that mobile phones or power lines cause cancer.
6. Cancer Spread is a Result of Cancer Surgery.
This is simply a part of the story. Although it happens seldom, cancer surgery can inadvertently cause the disease to spread. As explained by the American Cancer Society Reliable Source:
The danger has been significantly reduced because to improvements in surgical equipment and more accurate imaging examinations. a similar legend
A tumour exposed to the air is said to develop more quickly or spread to other areas of the body according to a dependable source. This is false.
7. The Cancer Runs in Family.
Although a small percentage of malignancies are genetically handed down via families, 3, 10% of cancers are thought to be caused by mutations that are inherited from grandparents.
It is normal for people to have some relatives who have cancer since the risk of cancer increases with age and because people now live longer than ever before. The persistence of this myth may be explained in light of this.
Gene mutations that accumulate over time are the primary cause of cancer in the majority of instances.
Although certain cancers run in families, the majority of malignancies are not definitively attributed to the genes we inherited from our parents. Most cancers are brought on by gene alterations that begin in a single cell during the course of a person's lifetime.
8. Natural Remedies Can Treat Cancer.
There is no proof that any herbal remedies can prevent cancer or treat it.
However, some individuals discover that complementary treatments like acupuncture, yoga, and meditation can assist with the psychological stress related to cancer as well as some of the adverse effects of cancer therapy.
According to the National Cancer Institute Trusted Source, something is not necessarily safe just because it is natural. They give a few instances when herbal supplements may be harmful to a person's health,
According to some studies, the herb kava kava, which some people use to relieve stress and anxiety, may harm the liver. Additionally, several cancer medications may not function as effectively as they should when taken with St. John's wort which some people use for depression.
9. Cancer has no known treatment.
Fortunately, this is a misconception as well. The efficacy of cancer therapies increases progressively as medical science learns more about the underlying causes.
Some diseases, like testicular and thyroid cancer, have a 60%Trusted Source cure rate, according to The population of cancer patients who have the same life expectancy as the general population is what Dr. Vu refers to as the cure rate.
Around 50% of cases of breast, prostate, and bladder cancer are also cured.
The information above shows that while certain tumours can be totally treated, tragically not all cancers can. Given the continuous emphasis on cancer screening and improved therapies, there is persistent optimism that cure rates are rising.
Patients who are diagnosed with cancer, even at an advanced stage, must maintain optimism because there are several effective, cutting edge medicines as well as improved surgical methods available. As an illustration, stage 4 melanoma patients can be treated in up to 40% of cases with contemporary immunotherapy, while stage 4 colon cancer patients who have liver metastases can be cured in 50% of cases with chemotherapy and surgery.
10. Cancer always returns.
a medical oncologist and haematologist at MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, was the subject of a conversation with MNT to answer this problem. He stated,
Fortunately for all of us, this assertion is untrue and a fiction. A cancer cure, or medicines that will entirely eradicate cancer, is becoming increasingly possible because to advances in existing cancer therapy.
According to him, the issue is challenging since different cancer kinds have a substantially varying potential to be treated, and various cancer types also have distinct time frames for which a disease may normally reoccur. For patients this makes it very difficult to know. when there is a significant danger of cancer recurrence or when they may actually be cured.
The adage cancer always comes back may become even more of a myth in the future thanks to advancements in cancer research better cancer therapies, and more public knowledge of cancer dangers and diagnoses.
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