10 popular cancer myths (and why they are false)

Misunderstandings and widespread lies about this disease.

Cancer is a disease that is much talked about nowadays. Every year around 220,000 new cases are diagnosed in Spain alone, according to data from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM). Despite being a well-known phenomenon, not everything that is said about Cancer is true..

The problem is that much of the information that exists about this disease is inaccurate. On the Internet it is possible to find many websites that talk about the subject and that offer information that is not entirely true. In this article, we are going to debunk 10 myths about cancer and explain the reasons why they are false.

Myths about cancer

Our body is made up of trillions of cells, which come together to form tissues and organs. Cancer occurs when these cells, which perform a series of vital functions for our body, become abnormal, that is, they multiply uncontrollably, invading adjacent organs and tissues.

Undoubtedly, cancer has a negative impact on the health of the person who suffers from it and, in some cases, can cause death. Since it is a problem that concerns many people, there is a lot of untruthful information circulating about this condition. Below you can find a list of ten myths about cancer that we are going to disprove..

1. It is completely safe to sunbathe before 10:00 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m.

It is common to hear that it is safe to sunbathe before ten in the morning and four in the afternoon. So many people, at those hours, do not take extreme precautions. The reality is that there are two types of ultraviolet rays that penetrate the atmosphere: UVB and UVA. The former are highest between ten o'clock in the morning and four o'clock in the afternoon, however, UVA is present throughout the day. Therefore, and especially on summer days, it is necessary to protect yourself well, it is necessary to protect yourself well, because the sun can cause many skin problems, from spots to cancer..

2. Mammograms cause cancer

Mammography helps to save lives, and although there is a myth that it can cause cancer, this is not true.. Mammograms do not usually last long, about 20 minutes. It does not cause great discomfort, except for the irrational concern that some people may have.

Mammograms are a safe procedure, in which radiation exposure is minute. Although it is not 100% safe in its results, one should not worry about this exposure.

3. Cancer is not contagious

Obviously, cancer is not a communicable disease, unlike other diseases such as HIV. However, some viruses can cause cancer and can be contagious.. One of the best known is the human papillomavirus (HPV).

There are two types of HPV: low-risk HPV, which does not cause cancer but does cause warts and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis; and high-risk HPV, which can cause cancer. HPVs are very common sexually transmitted diseases.

4. Cancer is a modern disease

Cancer is often referred to as a modern disease, but cancer has always existed.. Recently, a team of researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg) and the South African Centre of Excellence in Paleosciences discovered the oldest evidence of cancer in humans. They were from 1.7 million years ago.

While it is true that Western man's lifestyle (diet, pollution, etc.) can have a great impact on our health, cancer is not something new.

5. Men do not get breast cancer

I'm sure many people think that breast cancer is exclusively for women. Although the number of men who suffer from this disease is lower than women, men can also suffer from breast cancer.. A 25-year study revealed that breast cancer in men is on the rise.

6. Dark-skinned people do not suffer from skin cancer.

Caucasians are more likely to develop skin cancer, however, people with dark skin can also suffer from it. In fact, the belief that dark-skinned people hardly suffer from this type of cancer means that it is often not diagnosed in time. In other words, this belief can lead to dangerous delays in diagnosis, which can be fatal for the patient..

7. On cloudy days we are protected from skin cancer

Radiation can also affect people even on days with low sunlight.. Therefore, when it comes to outdoor activities it is necessary to protect oneself, even on cloudy days. This is especially important at an early age, since according to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), "between 50 and 80% of the damage caused by sun exposure originates in childhood and adolescence".

8. Superfoods against cancer

There is a growing tendency to associate foods with a series of healthy benefits to increase their sales, among them those that prevent cancer. This, which can be very useful as a marketing technique, is not true. Cancer is too complex to be reduced to drinking green tea or eating broccoli. Overall health and positive habits, such as not smoking or doing sports, can have a positive effect against cancer, but isolated actions are useless.but isolated actions are of no use.

9. Chemotherapy is worse than cancer

There is much debate and controversy about the effects of chemotherapy on cancer patients, and the truth is that it is not a pleasant treatment. But this way of proceeding, despite being very aggressive, becomes necessary to treat many cases of this disease. Although the treatment does not always work, it has served to save many lives.

10. Cell phones cause cancer

There is much talk nowadays that cell phones cause cancer. However, there is no scientific evidence that this is true, there is no scientific evidence that this is the case, says Jack Jacoub, an oncologist at Fountain Valley Medical Center (USA)..

An article published in the American newspaper "The New York Times" explains that many studies have been carried out on this subject, such as the Million Women Study and another Danish study with more than 350,000 cell phone users. The conclusions are clear: there is no scientific evidence of a link between cell phones and cancer. In fact, despite the increase in smartphone use, the incidence of brain cancer in the United States has remained the same since 1992.

Although the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) include cell phone radiation as a carcinogenic factor, the WHO ranks it on the same level as coffee or canned vegetables.