Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world. It is not a myth or misconception that cancer is a terrible disease, but general ideas about how it arises and spreads, is often scientifically wrong and rooted in strange theory. The US National Cancer Institute (NCI) says it best: "Cancer misconceptions can cause unnecessary anxiety and even interfere with making correct prevention and treatment ".
Read to the end to get the most useful information.
1. Cancer is the deadliest disease
It is true that cancer kills hundreds of thousands of people around the world every year. However, the likelihood that a person will die of cancer has been steadily declining since the 1990s. In addition, the five-year survival rate for diseases such as prostate, thyroid and breast cancers is now over 90%. For all types, the survival rate is about 66%.
These numbers are based on data from large groups of people. This means that the percentages shown above may not be accurate for each individual person. How long a particular cancer patient will live after being diagnosed, or how likely they are to survive, depends on several factors:
• the general state of health of the patient,
• cancer grows quickly or slowly,
• how much the cancer has spread.
2. Sugar helps cancer development
Although cancer cells do consume more glucose than normal cells, none research has not confirmed that sugar consumption can make the situation worse or that eliminating sugar from the diet will make it better. Changing sugar habits does not affect cancer itself, but a high-sugar diet is bad for your overall health. Sugar can contribute to excessive weight gain, and obesity increases your risk of developing various types of cancer. For a healthier lifestyle, it is best to keep your sugar intake to a minimum.
3. Sweeteners cause cancer
We all remember the "Sweet 'n' Low" cancer warning: "Causes cancer in laboratory animals."
Early research showed that cyclamate combined with saccharin caused bladder cancer. However, more recent studies of these same sweeteners have not provided clear evidence of a correlation between the use of artificial sweeteners and the development of cancer.
The following artificial sweeteners are FDA-approved and are considered safe for human consumption:
• saccharin,
• aspartame,
• acesulfame potassium,
• sucralose,
• neotam.
4. Cancer is contagious
Cancer is not contagious. A person cannot get cancer from sneezing or touching a cancer patient. The only circumstance in which cancer can be passed from one person to another is an organ or tissue transplant from someone who has had cancer in the past. However, the risk of developing cancer in this situation is extremely low, and doctors avoid using tissues or organs from donors with a history of cancer.
5. A positive mood won't help
Many people believe that a positive attitude promotes good health and reduces the risk of cancer. Likewise, a positive attitude helps the patient to fight cancer more successfully. Although the NCI (National Cancer Institute in the United States) claims there is no conclusive scientific evidence, confirming this theory, it is still believed that staying positive (but realistic) is the best an approach. Just because there is no evidence that it helps does not mean that a positive outlook will not benefit the person.
6. Alternative medicine treats cancer
Although there are studies that suggest alternative or complementary therapies may help patients cope with the side effects of cancer treatments, herbal products have not been proven to be effective treatments cancer. Some of them can even be harmful if taken during radiation therapy or chemotherapy. It is always best for a cancer patient to discuss alternative routes before using them.
7. Cancer is a hereditary disease
Only 5-10% of cancers are caused by inherited mutations in harmful genes. Between 90 and 95% of cancers are caused by mutations that occur during a person's life. Just because someone in your family has had cancer does not mean that there is a genetic mutation that causes cancer. However, in families with an inherited gene, multiple family members often develop the same type of cancer (if they do).
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