10 Cancer Myths
Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Misinformation is
contagious. The number
of cancer myths are
enough to drive anybody
to the brink of
paranoia. Our
panel of experts
from
Raffles Cancer Centre verify the top 10 cancer
myths that you should
not be losing sleep
over.
1. Using indoor tanning
beds does not cause skin
cancer.
Some people think that
getting an artificial
tan means that they will
not be at risk of skin
cancer. However, the
truth is: any tan, no
matter how you get it,
is a sign of skin
damage. Tanning beds
produce the same
ultraviolet radiation as
the sun. To prevent skin
cancer, you should limit
your exposure to
ultraviolet radiation.
2.
If your mom or dad
had cancer, you will
have it too.
It is true that you may
have higher risks of
developing certain types
of cancer if an
immediate relative has
it. Yet this does not
mean that one will
definitely develop
cancer because of one’s
genes.
Many factors can help
determine if the cancer
in a family is
hereditary. These
include:
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The presence of
certain types of
cancer occurring in
the same family (for
e.g. breast,
ovarian, colon and
uterine cancers);
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The age of onset of
cancer (particularly
with breast cancer
and colon cancer,
cancer diagnosed
before age 50 is
considered more
significant); and
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The number of
relatives with
cancer and how they
are related to each
other.
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3. Cancer causes hair
loss.
Cancer does not cause
hair loss. Hair loss is
a side effect of cancer
treatments such as
chemotherapy and
radiation therapy. The
severity and symptoms of
hair loss can vary
amongst individuals.
Therefore, not everyone
who underwent these
treatments would lose
his or her hair.
4. Only women get breast
cancer.
This is one of the
biggest cancer myths of
all. Men do get breast
cancer, although it is
rare. Less than 1% of
the total breast cancer
cases are male. If a man
discovers a lump in the
breast, he should
immediately see an
oncologist to exclude
breast cancer.
5. Some injuries can
cause cancer later in
life.
This is an outdated
belief that probably
dates back to the 1800s.
A fall, bruise or any
other injury is almost
never the cause of
cancer. Sometimes a
person might visit the
doctor for an injury and
find a tumour during
consultation. The tumour
is already present to
begin with and not a
result of the injury.
People may also pay more
attention to an injured
part of their body, and
some people discovered
tumours while rubbing a
painful area. In some
rare cases,
long-standing and/or
severe injuries can
increase cancer risk.
However, these account
for only a small
fraction of cancer
cases. For example, skin
cancer risk is somewhat
increased in scars
caused by thermal or
chemical burns.
6. Cancer is always
fatal.
Yes, cancer can cause
death. However, due to
the new breakthroughs in
early detection of
cancer, the risks of
dying from cancer have
decreased since the
early 1990s. Routine
screening has clearly
led to an impressive
decrease in death from
several cancers,
including cervical,
breast and colon
cancers. More people
with cancer live longer
with a better quality of
life. This is due to
early diagnosis,
lifestyle changes and
better treatment
options.
7. Cancer is always
painful.
This is not always true. Cancers are usually not
painful during the early
stages. Some cancers
never cause pain, though
many advanced cancers
do. Pain from cancer may
be due to a number of
reasons. For e.g., the tumour may be pressing
on a nerve. However,
there are many
treatments available to
manage cancer pain.
8. Surgery causes cancer
to spread throughout the
body.
Specialists in cancer
surgery have the
expertise to take biopsy
samples and to remove
tumours without causing
spread of the cancer. In
many cases, surgery is a
necessary part of the
cancer treatment plan.
Surgeons take extra
precautions to prevent
any chance of the cancer
spreading. Doctors who
perform surgery for
cancer are specialists
and are highly trained
in the intricacies of
cancer and the anatomy. Cancer patients should
not let misconceptions
of this nature deter
them from seeking early
treatments.
9. Older women don’t
need Pap Smears.
All women should go for
regular Pap smear until
her doctor advises that
they are no longer
necessary. This usually
happens when a woman
turns 65 and hasn’t had
an abnormal Pap smear
within the last 10
years. You should
consult your doctor if
you are unsure of when
you should stop getting
regular Pap smears.
10. Some people may be
too old for cancer
treatment.
Contrary to what some
people think, there is
no age limitation for
the treatment of cancer. There are side effects
involved in all cancer
treatments. Therefore,
every individual should
receive the treatment
that is best suited for
his or her condition.
There are cases where
older patients have
other illnesses that may
limit the use of certain
treatments. It is thus
important for all
patients to talk to
their doctor with
regards to the best
approach of towards
treating cancer.
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Article contributed by:
Raffles Medical Group
Dated: June 2011
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Raffles
Medical
Group is
a leading
medical
group and
the largest
private
group
practice in
Singapore.
As a fully
integrated
healthcare
organisation,
the Group
owns and
operates a
network of
family
medicine
clinics, a
tertiary
care private
hospital,
insurance
services and
a consumer
healthcare
division.
Patients of
the Group
enjoy a
continuum of
care, from
having their
most basic
healthcare
needs met
through the
Group’s
islandwide
network of
Raffles
Medical
clinics, to
specialist
and tertiary
care at
Raffles
Hospital. |
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