The risk of dying from cancer in the United States is increasing.
The risk of a typical person in the United States dying of cancer has been going down steadily since the early 1990's. More than half of the people diagnosed with cancer today will be cured. It may seem that the risk is growing because the large baby-boomer group is aging and cancer typically affects older people. But when adjusted for age, the cancer death rate is decreasing.
Regularly eating meat cooked on a charcoal grill will increase cancer risk.
You can increase your cancer risk if you cook fatty meats at high heat on the charcoal grill. Research shows grilling and broiling meat creates cancer causing substances (heterocyclic amines)--especially if they are well done or burnt. Marinating foods to be grilled has been shown to reduce the amount of HCA--in some cases, as much as 92-99 percent. Grilling lean meats which have been in marinades containing olive oil and/or citrus helps reduce HCA formation most effectively. You can partially cook meats in a microwave, lessening the amount of time on the grill and reduce HCA formation.
You can prevent skin cancer by putting on one application of sunscreen at the start of each day.
Applying sunscreen before you step outside each day is a good idea. BUT, if you are planning to be out in the sun, a single application is not enough: Read the instructions on the sunscreen package carefully and be sure to apply enough and reapply as recommended, especially if you are swimming or perspiring.
Fluoridated water causes cancer.
The possibility that fluoridated water causing cancer has been debated and studied at length. Studies in humans and in animals have not shown an association between fluoridated water and cancer. More than 50 studies produced over the past 40 years conclude that optimal fluoridation of drinking water does not pose a cancer risk to humans.
Treating cancer with surgery causes it to spread throughout the body.
Surgery is one of the main weapons against cancer. It does not cause cancer, nor cause it to spread. Some people may feel worse during the recovery from surgery than they did before the surgery. This may make them feel the surgery caused the cancer to spread. However, air hitting the tumor does not cause cancer to spread. Surgeons take special precautions to prevent cancer from spreading during tumor removal. A margin of normal tissue surrounding the tumor is removed with the tumor, to reduce the chance cancer cells spread to healthy tissue.
Anti-perspirants cause breast cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) there is no conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants with breast cancer.
Some reports have suggested that these products contain harmful substances that can be absorbed though the skin or enter the body through nicks caused by shaving. According to NCI, some scientists have also proposed that certain antiperspirant and deodorant contain ingredients called parabens. Parabens mimic the activity of estrogen in the body's cells. Because estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancer, some s scientists suggest that the use of deodorants or antiperspirants could cause the accumulation of parabens in breast tissue. No one has established that this accumulation of parabens can promote the development of breast cancer, however.
More research is needed to evaluate whether the use of antiperspirants cause parabens to accumulate in breast tissue and whether these chemicals increase the risk of breast cancer.
Some injuries can cause cancer later in life.
It is common for people to pay more attention to an injured body part, and some people discover tumors while rubbing a painful area. This does not mean the injury caused the cancer. In rare cases, long-standing injuries that do not heal can increase cancer risk, but these account for a very small fraction of cancer cases. Longstanding infections, such as forms of hepatitis or the bacteria that contribute to stomach ulcers, lead to more cancers than injuries do.
Electronic devices like cell phones can cause cancer in the people who use them.
The kind of radiation given off by cell phones or microwave ovens does not cause the kinds of DNA changes that are caused by ionizing radiation, such as x-rays or gamma rays.
Many research studies have been done to find a link between cell phone use and brain tumors. The results show no evidence of increasing risk with increasing years of use, or average minute of use per day. Overall, research has not consistently demonstrated a link between cellular telephone use and cancer or any other adverse health effect.
There is currently a cure for cancer, but the medical industry won't tell the public about it because they make too much money treating cancer patients.
Cancer is actually a group of more than 100 diseases. Each can be caused by many different factors. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, doctors still have much to learn about what triggers a cell to become cancerous and why some people with cancer do better than others. Worse yet, cancer is a moving target. The cancerous cells continue to mutate and change during the course of the disease. This may lead to the cancer cells no longer responding to the chemotherapy drugs or radiation treatments than when they were initially given. Finding the cure for cancer is, in fact, proving to be more complicated than putting a man on the moon.
What you do as a young adult has little impact on the chance of getting cancer later in life
Most cancer cases are the result of many years of exposure to several risk factors. What you eat, whether you are physically active, whether you are sunburned, and especially, whether you smoke and drink as a young person have a substantial influence on whether you develop cancer later in life.
Cancer is catching.
Cancer is not a contagious disease. There are three known communicable viruses, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Hepatitis B virus, and Hepatitis C virus that can cause cancer. HPV is a known risk factor for cervical cancer. Hepatitis B and C have been identified as causes of liver cancer. These viruses can be transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse, although Hepatitis B and C are more often transmitted through blood-to-blood contact such as sharing needles and transfusions (prior to 1992).
Stress can trigger cancer.
At this time, there is no evidence that stress is a direct cause of cancer. Many studies have measured the effect stress has on the immune system. The National Cancer Institute reports, "Although studies have shown that stress factors, such as death of a spouse, social isolation and medical school examinations alter the way the immune system functions, they have not provided scientific evidence of a direct cause-and-effect relationship between these immune system changes and the development of cancer."
Cooking with Teflon pans causes cancer.
The Science Advisory Board to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently voted to recommend that perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA) be termed a "likely carcinogen." This determination means that industry must eliminate PFOA from Teflon and other stain-resistant coatings. The EPA has stated that because of "scientific uncertainties" at the present time, the EPA does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any consumer or industrial related products that contain PFOA.
PFOA is a chemical used in the manufacturing process, but is not necessarily present in the finished product, or present in only small amounts. It is no longer available chemically in the finished coating.
Recommendations for safe use of nonstick cookware includes: never leave a nonstick pan unattended on an open flame or other heat source. While cooking, do not let temperatures get hotter than 450 degrees.
The bottom line is more study is needed to determine if every day exposure from use of cookware is harmful. Owners of Teflon-coated pans should monitor the news reports on PFOA.
All cancers are inherited.
It is estimated that 5-10 percent of all cancer is caused by an inherited susceptibility that is passed on from one generation to the next. In these cases, the altered gene that is responsible for a predisposition to cancer can be passed on to a person's children. People who inherit this altered gene may have a higher chance of developing cancer in their lifetime, and sometimes at an earlier age, than people who have not inherited the gene alteration.
There is nothing I can do to prevent cancer.
Cancer can be caused by a number of different factors and may develop over a number of years. Some risk factors can be controlled. Scientist estimate that as many as 50-75 percent of cancer deaths in the United States are cause by lifestyle choices such as smoking, physical inactivity, and poor dietary habits. Smoking causes about 30 percent of all US deaths from cancer. Obesity and physical inactivity cause about 25-30 percent of several of the major cancers in the US, including colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, and esophageal cancers.
Artificial sweeteners cause cancer.
Artificial sweeteners are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is no evidence that the regulated artificial sweeteners on the market in the U.S. are related to cancer risk in humans. As new sweetening products come on the market, the FDA continues to investigate any possible short or long term health risks that these products might create.
Permanent hair dye causes cancer.
The true fact on hair dye and cancer is not totally known at this time. Most studies show that dark hair dye used before 1980 held a slight risk of developing lymphoma. It is felt the newer hair dyes are safer. Most scientists say that more study of the subject is needed because the new hair dye has not been used long enough to get a clear picture of the potential to cause cancer.
Tanning beds are a safe way to get a tan.
FACT: When your skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays, it causes your skin to become darker. Tanned skin comes from melanin which is secreted by the body to protect it from the sun. A tan is visible proof you have damaged your skin. The UVA (ultraviolet A) rays given off by tanning beds are two to three times more powerful that the UVA rays that occur naturally from the sun.
Cigar smoking is safer than cigarette smoking.
Cigars contain much higher concentrations of tar and nicotine than cigarettes. It is not necessary to inhale cigar smoke to incur damage to the body. Any exposure to tobacco and its carcinogens is dangerous to your health. Cigar smokers are nearly three times more likely to develop lung cancer than nonsmokers.
Regular check-ups and today's medical technology can detect cancer early.
Routine screening has made a definite impact on the number of deaths from several kinds of cancer, including cervical, breast and colon cancers. Although regular medical care can increase the possibility to detect cancer early, it can not guarantee it. Cancer is a very complex disease and there is no sure way to always find it. Cancer cells grow anywhere in the body, often deep within it. Until the cancer reaches a certain size, there is not a technology or exam capable of finding it. Scientists are looking for tests capable of detecting cancer earlier. Some of these are still experimental and are not yet proven effective.