Saturday Myths about Cancer

A survey by the American Cancer Society, published in the journal Cancer, has found that many Americans have totally wrong beliefs about cancer. Here’s a sample of their findings.

More than 1 in 4 of the 1000-odd surveyed people believed (erroneously) that:

• The risk of dying from cancer in the US is increasing
• Living in a polluted city is a greater risk for lung cancer than smoking a pack a day
• Some injuries can cause cancer later in life
• Electronic devices, like cell phones, can cause cancer in the users
• What someone does as a young adult has little effect on the risk of getting cancer later in life

And more than 1 in 10 of people believed (erroneously) that:

• Long-time smokers cannot reduce their cancer risk by quitting smoking
• People smoking low-tar cigarettes have less chance of cancer than those smoking regular cigarettes
• Hygiene products, like shampoo and deodorants, can cause cancer
• Having a mammogram can cause breast cancer

Those who were male, older, non-White, less educated, and of lower income were most likely to believe these cancer myths. It should be mentioned that the survey was done by presenting the myth as a statement, and the responder was asked if the statement was ‘true’, ‘false’, or ‘don’t know’. The replies show that public health education needs to be extended more widely.