Cancer Myths vs Facts
More Specific Myths vs Facts
Myth: Cancer is a disease of the wealthy and developed countries
Fact: Cancer does not discriminate. It is a global epidemic, affecting all ages, with low- and middle-income countries bearing a disproportionate burden. Cancer is a global issue and becoming an increasing public health problem in developing countries. There were 12.7 million new cancer cases in 2008 worldwide, of which 5.6 million occurred in economically developed countries and 7.1 million in economically developing countries. The corresponding estimates for total cancer deaths in 2008 were 7.6 million (about 21,000 cancer deaths a day), 2.8 million in economically developed countries and 4.8 million in economically developing countries. In 2008, 63% of global deaths were attributed to non-infectious maladies, such as cancer. Most of these deaths, 80% in fact, occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Cancer now accounts for more deaths worldwide than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. Of the 7.6 million global deaths from cancer in 2008, more than 55% occurred in less developed regions of the world. By 2030, 60-70% of the estimated 21.4 million new cancer cases per year are predicted to occur in developing countries. Cervical cancer is just one example of the disproportionate burden borne in the developing world. Over 85% of the 275,000 women who die every year from cervical cancer are from developing countries.
Myth: Only old people get cancer
Fact: An analysis of breast cancer trends in the US has found that new cases of advanced breast cancer are increasing among women ages 25 to 39. The finding is especially troubling because breast cancer in younger women tends to be more aggressive and has lower survival rates than breast cancer in older women. A total of between 500 and 600 South African children are diagnosed with cancer each year. This is approximately half the worldwide figure. It is therefore estimated that a further 500 children die of childhood cancer in South Africa each year before being diagnosed or treated. The main reason for this is the lack of awareness of childhood cancers amongst parents on the signs and symptoms of childhood cancer. Many people think they don’t have to worry about developing cancer until they are older. But only about 50 percent of all cancers occur in people over 65. People under the age of 40 often think they have no chance of getting cancer and delay seeing their doctor if they have a worrisome symptom. Some cancers, like testicular cancer or Hodgkin’s disease, are examples of cancers more likely to occur in younger people. These facts are not meant to alarm you — only to make you aware that cancer can occur at any age.
Myth: Cancer is a death sentence
Fact: Many cancers that were once considered a death sentence can now be cured and for many more people their cancer can now be treated effectively. Advances in understanding risk and prevention, early detection and treatment have revolutionised the management of cancer leading to improved outcomes for patients. According to Macmillan Cancer Support in the 1970’s the overall median survival time for all cancer types was 1 year, in 2010 this has increased to 6 years. This is due to medical improvements in surgical, diagnostic and radiotherapy practices as well as advances in medicines. Breast cancer, colon cancer and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma have seen dramatic improvements in survival times. In this period, the biggest improvement in median survival time is for colon cancer, a 17-fold increase from around 7months to 10 years. Breast cancer median survival has doubled. Since the early 1990’s the median survival has reached more than 10 years. The survival of an individual may vary considerably depending on early detection and the circumstances of the patient’s tumour and health.
Myth: Cancer is my fate
Fact: With the right strategies, more than one in every three cancers can be prevented. About 2.8 million cases of cancer could be prevented globally every year through choosing a healthy diet, being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight. Prevention is the most cost-effective and sustainable way of reducing the cancer burden in the long-term. Countries need to help support people to make better lifestyle choices if cancers caused by alcohol, unhealthy diets and lack of physical activity are to be reduced. Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle. The lifestyle factors include cigarette smoking, diet (fried foods, red meat), alcohol, sun exposure, environmental pollutants, infections, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity. The evidence indicates that of all cancer-related deaths, almost 25–30% are due to tobacco, as many as 30–35% are linked to diet, about 15–20% are due to infections, and the remaining percentage are due to other factors like radiation, stress, physical activity, environmental pollutants etc.
Myth: We must not talk about cancer
Fact: Cancer is a very hard subject for anyone to talk about, but it is necessary to talk about it from both those diagnosed, in order to deal with their feeling experience during their cancer journey and the public at large, in order to create awareness regarding the signs and symptoms of cancer in order to ensure people seek medical attention early. Because early detection saves lives. Finding out you have cancer can be overwhelming, not only for you, but also for your friends and relatives. People often don’t know what to say. They may feel sad and uncomfortable and may be afraid of upsetting you. They might be frightened about the possibility of losing you. Sometimes people find it easier to say nothing because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. When families, friends, and co-workers of people with cancer stay away or do not talk to patients, people with cancer often say they feel isolated and alone.
Myth: There are no signs or symptoms of cancer
Fact: Cancer is a group of diseases that can cause almost any sign or symptom. For many cancers, there are warning signs and symptoms and the benefits of early detection are indisputable The signs and symptoms will depend on where the cancer is, how big it is, and how much it affects the organs or tissues. If a cancer has spread (metastasized), signs or symptoms may appear in different parts of the body. Sometimes cancer starts in places where it will not cause any signs or symptoms until it has grown quite large. With few exceptions, early stage cancers are more treatable than late stage cancers. Knowing what changes to look for and when to see your GP could make a real difference. General rule of thumb, if you have, persistent symptoms that for more than 2 moths you should consult a doctor to ascertain if these symptoms are related to a possible cancer.
Myth: I don't have the right to cancer care
Fact: All people have the right to access proven and effective cancer treatments and services on equal terms, and without suffering hardship as a consequence. The right to health care, including cancer treatment, services is provided for in three sections of the South African Constitution.
Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) provides for the “enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health conducive to living a life of dignity”.4 This means that health care facilities, goods and services have to be available in sufficient quantity; must be physically and economically 2accessible to everyone, must be ethically and culturally acceptable, and must be of a medically appropriate quality. According to section 7(2) of the Constitution6 the State is obliged to respect, protect, promote and fulfil all the rights in the Bill of Rights). In the case of the right to health, these fourfold obligations are defined in General Comment No.147 and include the following: The obligation to respect the right, obliges the State to refrain from denying or limiting access to health care services to anyone. These should be available to all on a non-discriminatory basis.
Myth: Children don’t get cancer
Fact: The cancers that affect children are generally unique to those that affect adults, and the incidence of childhood cancer is 150 in a million worldwide. In South Africa, one in 600 hundred children is affected by cancer before the age of 16. The encouraging news is that if diagnosed early, 70%-85% of children can be cured. The cancers that affect children most often occur in the developing cells like bone marrow, blood, kidneys and nervous system tissues. The most common cancer is leukaemia followed by brain and a wide variety of other tumours. Life-threatening blood disorders include aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia and ITP.
In South Africa, less than half of the children are diagnosed early enough and reach a treatment centre in time. Many are diagnosed too late with an advanced stage of cancer for the treatment to have much chance of success and half are never diagnosed and so receive no treatment.3
CHOC and all the specialist paediatric oncologists in our country, has prepared a set of Warning Signs to help improve early diagnosis. Go to www.choc.org.za to learn more.
Myth: Breast cancer is caused by carrying money in your bra, so only women get it.
Fact: Doctors know that breast cancer occurs when some breast cells begin growing abnormally. These cells divide more rapidly than healthy cells do and continue to accumulate, forming a lump or mass. The cells may spread (metastasize) through your breast to your lymph nodes or to other parts of your body. 4Many risk factors can increase your chance of developing breast cancer but carrying money in your bra is not one of them. To learn more about breast cancer got to http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/index
Myth: Cancer is contagious.
Fact: Cancer is NOT contagious. A healthy person cannot “catch” cancer from someone who has it. There is no way that close contact or things like sex, kissing, touching, sharing meals, or breathing the same air can spread cancer from one person to another.
If cancer were contagious, we would have cancer epidemics just as we have flu epidemics – cancer would spread like measles, polio, or the common cold. The fact that cancer might happen more often in certain families does not mean that the family members have spread cancer to each other. There are other reasons this can happen:
Family members share the same genes.
Families may have similar unhealthy lifestyles (diet and smoking, for example).
Family members may all be exposed to the same cancer-causing agent.
Myth: Cancer is always painful.
Fact: The myth that cancer is always painful is associated with people’s fear of the disease. Some cancers cause no physical pain at all. Some patients who die from cancer may experience mild to severe pain. The good news, however, is that with recent advances in pain management, pain can be prevented or controlled. We can now reassure many patients with extensive disease that they will remain comfortable. If patients suffer from severe pain, they or their families must be aggressive in seeking the consultation of a pain specialist.
The other myth about pain is that it is an early symptom of cancer. This myth is responsible for delays in diagnosis because many people think that if changes in their bodies are not painful, they don’t need to worry. Very few cancers in their early stages produce pain, so people should not wait until something hurts before they see their doctor. Early detection offers our best opportunity for cure or long-term control.6
With many cancers, people do not experience pain as a first symptom.
The cancer cells themselves are not painful, but when they make a tumour that presses somewhere, for example on the spine, or blocks an airway or passage, this can be painful.
If the disease is advanced and has spread to the bones, then pain may be a symptom.
Myth: All tumours are cancerous
Fact: Not all tumours are cancer. Tumours that aren’t cancer are called benign. Benign tumours can cause problems – they can grow very large and press on healthy organs and tissues. But they cannot grow into (invade) other tissues. Because they can’t invade, they also can’t spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). These tumours Myth: You don’t need to worry about cancer if no one in your family has had it.
Fact: Only 5% to 10% of cancers are hereditary (passed down by a family member). Many cancers are caused by genetic changes that occur throughout a person’s lifetime. These changes, or mutations, are caused by factors such as tobacco use, too much ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, and exposure to certain chemicals. However, the likelihood that a single mutation will cause cancer is small. That is one reason why cancer is more common in older people—several mutations have had the chance to build up throughout their life. Learn more about risk factors and prevention.
Myth: If you have a family history of cancer, you will get it too; there’s nothing you can do about it.
Fact: Although having a family history of cancer increases your risk of developing the disease, it is not a definite prediction of your future health. In fact, an estimated 4 out of 10 cancers can be prevented by making simple lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, limiting alcoholic beverages, and avoiding tobacco products. Additionally, doctors may recommend that some people who have inherited a genetic mutation that puts them at high risk for cancer have surgery or take medication, known as prophylactic treatment, to further reduce the chance that cancer will develop. Learn more about cancer genetics and hereditary cancer-related syndromes.
You may be surprised to know that 90-95% of all breast cancers have nothing to do with family history.
Myth: If you are diagnosed with cancer, you will probably die.
Fact: Advances in understanding risk and prevention, early detection and treatment have revolutionised the management of cancer leading to improved outcomes for patients.
Cancer is not a death sentence. Advances in cancer detection and treatment have increased survival rates for most common types of cancer. In fact, more than 60% of people with cancer survive five years or more after their initial diagnosis. Learn more about cancer survivorship.
Team-based, multidisciplinary treatment programmes that include access to quality, affordable and effective cancer medicines and screening should also incorporate other cost-effective treatment solutions including radiotherapy which should be seen as an essential component of every country’s national cancer control plan.
All people should have access to proven effective multidisciplinary cancer services on equal terms, ensuring that cancer is diagnosed early when the chance of cure is greatest.
Myth: Cancer treatment is usually worse than the disease.
Fact: Although cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy are known to cause side effects that can be unpleasant and sometimes serious, recent advances have resulted in many chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments that are much better tolerated than in the past. As a result, symptoms like severe nausea and vomiting, hair loss, and tissue damage are much less common these days; however, managing side effects remains an important part of cancer care. This approach, called palliative or supportive care, can help a person at any stage of illness. In fact, people who receive both treatment for the cancer and treatment to ease side effects at the same time often have less severe symptoms, better quality of life, and report they are more satisfied with treatment11.. Learn more about palliative care go to http://www.hospicepalliativecaresa.co.za
Myth: People being treated for cancer can’t stay at home, work, or participate in their usual activities.
Fact: Most people living with cancer are treated in their home community on an outpatient basis (with periodic appointments at a hospital or clinic rather than an overnight stay at a hospital) and often continue with some or all their day-to-day activities. Many people can work part-time or full-time, care for their children, and attend social activities, despite undergoing cancer treatment.
Still, many people can keep working while they’re getting cancer treatment. Some people work their usual full-time schedules. Some work the same schedules with special conditions. Others need a less demanding schedule, like taking extra days off or even working part time for a while. It is important to keep open line of communications with your employer in relation to your workplace needs. For more about Cancer@Work call 082 22 44 22 4
Myth: Underarm antiperspirants cause breast cancer
Fact: Articles in the press and on the Internet have warned that underarm antiperspirants (a preparation that reduces underarm sweat) or deodorants (a preparation that destroys or masks unpleasant odours) cause breast cancer. The reports have suggested that these products contain harmful substances, which can be absorbed through the skin or enter the body through nicks caused by shaving. Some scientists have also proposed that certain ingredients in underarm antiperspirants or deodorants may be related to breast cancer because they are applied frequently to an area next to the breast. Go to http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/antiperspirants-and-breast-cancer-risk to learn more.
However, researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a part of the National Institutes of Health, are not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates food, cosmetics, medicines, and medical devices, also does not have any evidence or research data that ingredients in underarm antiperspirants or deodorants cause cancer.
Myth: Wearing a bra causes cancer
Fact: There is no scientific evidence to prove that any kind of bra can cause cancer. Some people have claimed that under wired bras cause breast cancer by blocking the fine tubes of the lymphatic system under the arm. The idea is that this stops the normal drainage of the breast tissues, making toxins gather in the breast and resulting in cancer. You would need to wear a bra that was painfully and unbearably tight to have any effect on your lymphatic system. Constriction or applying pressure to an area of the body does not make normal cells become cancerous
Myth: Exposing a tumour to air during surgery causes cancer to spread.
Fact: Surgery is one of medicine’s main weapons against cancer. It can’t cause cancer or cause it to spread. Surgery can’t cause cancer to spread. Don’t delay or refuse treatment because of this myth. Surgically removing cancer is often the first and most important treatment.
Some people may believe this myth because they feel worse during recovery than they did before surgery. And if your surgeon discovers during surgery that your cancer is more advanced than first thought, you may believe the surgery caused more extensive cancer. But there is no evidence to support this.
Myth: A high PSA level means that you have prostate cancer, and a low PSA means you do not have prostate cancer.
Fact: Although prostate cancer is a common cause of elevated PSA levels, some men with prostate cancer may even have low levels of PSA. PSA can also be diluted in men who are overweight or obese, due to a larger blood volume, and a biopsy should be considered at a relatively lower number (i.e. 3.5 instead of 4). Again, elevated levels can be an indication of other medical conditions.14
Myth: Testicular cancer will end your sex life
Fact: Nearly all — 99 percent — of men with testicular cancer have it only in one testicle. After treatment, the remaining testicle produces all the needed hormones that affect masculinity, beard, voice, sex drive, etc. And removal of a testicle does not affect the ability to have an erection.
Some men may have a problem if they worry about their sexual performance based on their appearance. They may feel uncomfortable about the look or feel of their scrotum. They may choose to have an artificial testicle — a prosthesis — put in the scrotum. Discuss this option with your health care provider if you are worried about how you will appear and feel.
The one percent of men with cancer in both testicles may take testosterone to maintain their sex drives and masculine attributes.
are almost never life threatening. To learn more visit www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/what-is-cancer
Myth: Vasectomies cause prostate cancer.
Fact: Having a vasectomy was once thought to increase a man’s risk. This issue has since been carefully researched by epidemiologists. Vasectomy has not been linked to increasing a man’s chance of getting prostate cancer but has led to the prostate being checked by the urologist more often and prostate cancer consequently being detected in the clinic.
Myth: There are no early symptoms ovarian cancer.
Fact: Many women with ovarian cancer do have early warning signs. However, common symptoms such as abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating, urinary urgency and pelvic discomfort or pain mimic those of many other conditions. It’s not unusual for women with ovarian cancer to be diagnosed first with a digestive or bladder disorder. With ovarian cancer, symptoms are likely to occur daily for weeks or months on end.
Myth: Pap tests can detect ovarian cancer.
Fact: Pap tests, also called pap smears, are designed to detect cervical cancer, not ovarian cancer. Other exams and tests can help detect ovarian cancer. When ovarian cancer is suspected, a doctor will likely perform a pelvic exam to check for masses or growths on the ovaries, as well as carry out blood tests and an ultrasound (a painless procedure that produces detailed images of the ovaries and other reproductive organs).
Myth: Most women with ovarian cancer have a family history of the disease.
Fact: Only 10-15% of ovarian cancers are inherited. The most important risk factor for ovarian cancer is the presence of inherited mutations in breast cancer genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Other risk factors are a family history of breast cancer, obesity and a woman’s age. Most patients with ovarian cancer are postmenopausal.
Myth: Women who have had a hysterectomy can't get ovarian cancer.
Fact: During a hysterectomy, a surgeon removes the uterus and usually the cervix. In some cases, the fallopian tubes and ovaries are also removed. If one, or both ovaries are left intact, ovarian cancer is possible. There is a very small chance of the disease, even when the ovaries are removed.
Myth: Ovarian cancer is always deadly.
Fact: Ovarian cancer is a serious illness, but it is not always deadly. As with all cancers, early detection is vital.
Myth: Sexual activity affects chance of developing ovarian cancer.
Fact: The spread of the HPV virus, which can cause cervical cancer and is linked to sexual activity, is not connected with ovarian cancer in any way.
Myth: Cervical cancer cannot be prevented.
Fact: Infection with the human papillomavirus, or HPV, is biggest cause of cervical cancer. There is now a newly available vaccine which is preventing HPV infection dramatically, and which reduces a woman’s risk. Early and regular screening with pap smears and tests for HPV are still vital to detect pre-cancerous conditions so patients can be treated as soon as possible. Practicing safe sex can reduce a woman’s risk of contracting the HP Virus and therefore her risk of being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Myth: I’m too young to worry about cervical cancer.
Fact: The average age of cervical cancer patients is 48. While it’s not common, women can be diagnosed in their 20’s. No matter how old you are, if you are having unprotected sex you are at risk of contracting HPV. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in South African women.
Myth: Cervical cancer has no symptoms.
Fact: There are symptoms you need to be aware of for cervical cancer. Bleeding after intercourse, bleeding between menstrual periods or bleeding after menopause may indicate cervical cancer. Other symptoms include an abnormal discharge or pain in the pelvic region.
