There are many misconceptions about cancer. However, having accurate information based on scientific evidence is key to dealing with the disease.
Nowadays we can access huge amounts of information at the click of a button. However, much of it is false or erroneous, so we often find ourselves deeply uninformed about issues as important as our health.
There are many myths about diseases such as cancer that we are going to debunk today, because a first step to face the diagnosis is to have accurate information about it.
Cancer myths (truths and lies)
Let’s see some truths and lies about this disease.
1. Cancer is contagious
This idea is totally false. Cancer is not an infectious disease and therefore cannot be spread from person to person.
2. Cancer is hereditary
Only in some cases there is a predisposition to suffer certain types of cancer, although these represent only 5-10% of the total. In other words, the remaining 90% are sporadic and are not transmitted by inheritance. Even when there are different cases of cancer in our family, this does not mean that we are more likely to suffer from it. In cases where there is a suspicion of family predisposition, it is the doctor who must evaluate a series of criteria to confirm that this exists.
3. Cancer is painful
The truth is that cancer does not necessarily have to be painful, as this depends on the area where the tumor is located. In those cancers that do cause pain, there are treatments that can alleviate the patient’s discomfort.
4. Stress causes cancer and/or makes it worse, so the patient must be positive to be cured.
This is one of the most controversial myths about cancer. Research to date has never found a direct link between stress and cancer. Therefore, it is false to affirm that being positive will accelerate or guarantee a cure, since the prognosis of each patient depends on many variables such as the location and extension of the disease or the previous state of health. What is certain is that those patients with a good state of mind face the disease with a better disposition from a psychological perspective.
5. Chemotherapy kills more than it cures.
This is another widespread idea, but totally false. Chemotherapy is indicated to destroy those cells in our body that reproduce abnormally fast, as this is the characteristic of malignant cells. However, in the body we also have non-cancerous cells capable of reproducing rapidly, such as blood cells, for example. In addition to this, the treatment can cause side effects that cause discomfort and limit the patient during the chemotherapy process. It is therefore a harsh treatment, but necessary for the patient to be cured.
RESILIENCE helps you survive cancer with a strong heart.
