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The big "C" word has been researched for decades, but still, it feels like we know so little about it. Not only that, but it seems that lately, studies have suggested nearly everything we consume, do, wear, or buy could cause cancer.
There are a few cancer myths floating on the internet that sound so convincing, people are buying it. How much of all that is true, and what is just simply myth, paranoia, or junk science?
Don't be fooled!
Read on to find out which cancer myths you need to stop believing.
Myth #1: There's not much you can do to avoid cancer--it's fated/genetic.
You might be under the impression that cancer is genetic, just like hair color, right? Not entirely. About five to 10 percent of cancers are linked to inherited genetic factors, while upwards of 40 percent of cancers are linked to lifestyle. "While there's no such thing as a guarantee against cancer, being a non-smoker, eating healthily, keeping a healthy weight, not drinking too much alcohol, being active and enjoying the sun safely all stack the odds in your favour," says Sarah Williams, senior health information officer at Cancer Research UK.
Myth #2: Cancer is a modern disease.
If you believe that cancer is a modern disease, brought on by new and changing lifestyles, cultures, climates, and habits, you're dead wrong. Cancer has been around as long as we have--as a matter of fact, a skeleton from 1,200BC was recently discovered in Sudan with cancer. It is true, however, that cancer rates have increased 20 percent since the mid 1970s, but that's mostly because modern medicine has helped us live longer. In other words, while it's absolutely true that lifestyle choices can change cancer rates, age is also a huge factor--the older we get, the more likely we are to get cancer.
Myth #3: Deodorants can cause cancer.
The argument on it's own makes sense: stopping your body from releasing toxins could cause a build up in the lymph glands in your armpits, leading to lymph or breast cancer. "There's no convincing evidence that deodorants and antiperspirants cause breast cancer. These concerns were actually started by an email hoax," says Sarah. "But the details about it are all wrong – breast cancers start in the breast and only later spread to the lymph glands. Plus, your body has several ways of getting rid of toxins and while sweating is one of those ways, it's a totally different system, biologically speaking, from the lymph glands. The two are simply unrelated," she explains.
Myth #4: Social smoking is okay, as long as you don't smoke often.
You might not be smoking a pack a day, or even half a pack a day, but the risk is still there. In fact, one study found that people who puff four cigarettes a day "are almost 50 percent more likely to die prematurely than non-smokers," says Sarah. Even if you're smoke-free throughout the week but smoke upwards of 14 cigarettes between Friday and Saturday, that still averages to two cigarettes a day--which is not good. Not to mention, smoking and drinking can actually be worse for you--alcohol makes it easier to for the cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke to get into your body, multiplying the damage. What about shisha? "It's been less studied than cigarette smoking, but evidence suggests it is linked not only to lung cancer but other cancers, too," says Sarah.
What do you think about all this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Photo Copyright © 2009 miamism/Flickr
