Cancer is a subject that little wish to speak about, but it is such an important topic and should be discussed freely and honestly.
Many myths are surrounding the causes and treatment of cancer. Scientists and doctors have disproved many of these myths. Here are six common myths you need to know are false.
1. It is against the law to not have cancer treatment
This is an absolute myth. If you do not want to have cancer treatment, after Consulting with your doctor if you choose not to have cancer treatment, then it is up to you, and you will face no criminal penalties for choosing not to treat your cancer. However, with children, the courts have intervened to get treatment for a child whose parents are objecting on religious grounds. These are complex cases and have no bearing on the choices of consenting adults. Some people choose not to have treatments such as radiation therapy because of other illnesses attacking their body.
2. Cancer treatment will cause me to lose my hair, and it won’t grow back
Cancer treatment doesn’t always cause you to be bald. Most people shave their heads because their hair is thinning or patchy because of the cancer treatment, so they choose to lose their hair on their terms. Some lose no hair at all while receiving cancer treatment. Where people have reported permanent hair loss, this was because of other factors, or combination drug treatments.
3. Positive thoughts will rid me of cancer
While positive thoughts and prayer (if you are religious) might make you feel good, or distract you from the horror that is cancer, a positive attitude will not cure your mutated cells, or rid you of the indignity of radiation treatment.
4. Men in a lab made cancer
This is an absolute myth! There are skeletal remains over 3,000 years old that carry the markers of cancer. The history of cancer harks back to the father of medicine Hippocrates who coined the name carconis, which we now call cancer. It is common to make up such fallacies when we are scared or confused about something as scary as cancer, but cancer is definitely not man-made.
5. Cancer can be treated with sodium bicarbonate!
Cancer is not a fungus! There is a well-known and well-circulated (and very dangerous) rumour that cancer is nothing but a fungus and can easily be treated with salt water and baking soda! This is absolutely untrue, and there is no evidence to support such claims.
6. Big Pharma is hiding the cure for cancer
When people are desperate, they will believe anything, including the conspiracy theory that suggests pharmaceutical companies hide the cures for common diseases to make a profit from our suffering. Now there is a lot of profit made off of pain by big pharma, but if they genuinely have the cure for cancer, they could not keep it a secret for long.
The Takeaway
Cancer treatment is one of the biggest battles a human will ever face, and while there are many avenues to treatment, one must exercise their cancer treatment with caution. There is no known cure for cancer, but that doesn’t mean one should be liberal with their cancer treatments or buy into myths out of desperation. As always, if you have cancer, consult your doctor for advice and treatment options, before looking into alternative forms of treatment.