Common misconceptions about cancer
The disease of our age: Cancer. The reason why it is such a big trouble for humanity is that we know little about it. Although research is rapidly closing this gap, it is not easy to correct the misconceptions about cancer in society.
Here are 11 common misconceptions about cancer.
1- Stress and sadness cause cancer.
There is no study showing that stress and sadness cause cancer. The immune system is important in the development of cancer and in the treatment of patients diagnosed with cancer. However, cancer can be defeated and treated by thinking positively; Or, conversely, there is no evidence that some cancers are more common when people are very depressed, stressed, or have had very bad life experiences.
2- Biopsy accelerates cancer
Biopsies are indispensable interventions to diagnose the disease and plan its treatment. Although patients sometimes fear that the disease will spread, worsen, or dissipate when a biopsy is performed, there are no scientific studies to support these fears. So these fears are extremely unfounded. Neither biopsies performed with open surgery nor needle biopsies will cause the cancer to spread or worsen. Thanks to the developments and new technologies achieved in recent years, especially in the surgical treatment of cancer, even better results can now be achieved by touching cancers or “touching them with a knife”.
3- External factors such as hair dye and perfumes cause cancer.
We know that all kinds of toxic substances have a negative effect on our cells and DNA. Therefore, the more we stay away from toxic substances, the healthier we will live. However, no research has shown that cosmetic substances such as hair dyes and deodorants are directly related to types of cancer. On the other hand, we know that some chemicals, especially cigarettes, increase the risk of cancer. We know that some substances and petroleum products, especially asbestos, used in some industrial products other than tobacco, increase the risk of cancer. But commercially available cosmetic ingredients have not been scientifically proven to cause cancer.
4- Patients with cancer must be hospitalized and their treatment is carried out this way.
Cancer treatment spans a long period of time. The aim is for patients undergoing cancer surgery to stay in the hospital for as short a time as possible. It is necessary to wait a certain period of time for both the surgical tissues to heal and for the patient to become capable of living under home conditions. With cancer surgeries performed in recent years, the duration of hospital stay is shortened and the patient can return to daily life more quickly than before. If there is no deterioration in the patient’s general condition, both radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be continued without hospitalization. Radiotherapy treatment can be planned so that patients do not need to be admitted, they come to the radiotherapy center only once a day, receive treatment and return home. For most of the chemotherapy treatment, patients can receive their treatment and return home without being hospitalized.
5- It is not possible to return to business life after cancer.
Many cancer patients can now be promised the same life expectancy as their peers after treatment is completed. For example, with some conditions in breast cancer, there is an extremely high probability that the disease will not return after treatment is completed. What are “some conditions”: Especially breast cancers caught at an early stage and cases where the tumor is quite small and has not spread to the lymph nodes under the armpit… Full treatment can be provided for thyroid and skin cancer. In addition, thanks to pill-shaped, swallowable cancer drugs developed in recent years, patients can continue their work without restricting their daily activities and preserving their quality of life. For this reason, patients with many types of cancer can lead both their private and professional lives normally.
6- For cancer treatment to be successful, one should go abroad.
In a good cancer center in Turkey, treatment can be carried out with the same effectiveness and with the same low side effects as the treatment is planned and carried out in the developed countries of the world. Even patients from foreign countries come to Turkey for treatment. In addition, some centers in Turkey participate in clinical trials conducted internationally and can enable suitable patients to benefit from newly developed drugs.
7- The child of a cancer patient also gets cancer.
Some types of cancer are known to be hereditary. When tracing the family tree of some families, the same or similar types of cancer can be encountered. The most well-known of these is breast cancer. However, only 5 to 8 percent of all breast cancer is hereditary. Traces of breast cancer are found in the family tree of only one in 13 to 14 breast cancer patients. Except for very special cases, there is no rule that if a parent has cancer, their children will also get cancer.
8- It is possible to beat cancer with positive thinking.
Although positive thinking is extremely important in cancer treatment, it alone is not enough to defeat the disease. Both the physical and mental health of patients must be protected in an integrated manner. Especially when the patient’s psychology is good during surgery, medication and radiotherapy treatment, the results are much better and patients can tolerate the treatment.
9- The patient should not be told that he has cancer.
It is a wrong idea for the patient’s relatives to try to hide the diagnosis from the patient, believing that “it will demoralize them and make it worse.” First of all, the doctor must convey all the information requested by the patient. The patient’s decisions and preferences are of great importance. It is not right to expect the patient to make a decision without having any information. The patient has the right to choose the treatment option that is most suitable for him/her and make this decision, knowing his/her situation.
10- Cancer spreads when the knife touches it.
Surgery is the most effective treatment option for many types of cancer. Surgery, which is one of the greatest powers we have in treatment, also affects clinical results positively. Removing the diseased organ or tumor allows the patient to live much longer and the risk of the disease returning is significantly reduced. For this reason, it is necessary to believe in the idea that “cancer spreads when touched by a knife”, on the contrary to the idea that “cancer patients get better when touched by a knife”. As long as the patient is at a stage where the disease can be removed with surgery.
11- Cancer is contagious.
“Cancer” is not a contagious disease like infectious diseases. Therefore, daily close contact with a cancer patient does not pose a risk of developing cancer. However, there are also some types of cancer caused by viruses. A leading example of these is cervical cancer. The incidence of cervical cancer, which has an increased risk as a result of infection caused by the sexually transmitted HPV virus, has started to decrease with the vaccine that has been used in recent years.
