Cancer myths unveiled

In our finite, fear-driven world, cancer plagues our mortal existence. We’ve all been affected by cancer, if not by being seduced to believe some mythical cause, then certainly via family, friends or oneself. Although cancer has negatively impacted many lives, myths have begun to permeate our culture. This is not a column to deepen wounds or expound anxiety, but rather to expose some myths that have led to unnecessary fears.

Myth 1: The risk of getting and dying from cancer is increasing
According to the American Cancer Society, a decline of death rates, for both men and women, has been prevalent since 1990 for all common cancers.

Many doctors, hospitals and organizations such as ACS claim that exercise can cut the risk of breast and colon cancer, two of the most common types. If this country saw an increase of moderate physical activity, it would be likely to see a decrease in diagnoses of every type of cancer.

According to Dr. Larry Verity, a faculty educator in the department of exercise and nutritional sciences at San Diego State, most cancers are preventable.

Myth 2: Cell phones cause cancer
The National Cancer Institute states three reasons for the belief in this myth. The main reason is that cell phones and other electronic devices emit radio frequency energy that is a form of radiation. The fear is that we don’t know enough about RF energy, and resulting overwhelming cell phone use will cause enormous amounts of radiation leading to brain cancer.

There have also been numerous amounts of inconsistent studies that have lead people to believe that cell phones cause cancer. The truth, according to the ACS and www.discovery.com, is that more reliable, recent studies have shown no correlation between cell phone usage and cancer. They claim that consumers may have missed these recent reports because there wasn’t enough coverage such as original reports that linked cell phones with cancer.

Myth 3: Hair dyes
If you are a female or just a semi-rebellious youth, then it is likely you have dyed your hair at least once. Although this hasn’t received as much press as the cell phone myth, there has been a growing concern.

The truth is that temporary and permanent hair dyes do not correlate directly with cancer. According to the American Medical Association and the ACS, studies have shown that hair dye does not pose a significant risk for cancer.

Myth 4: Eating grilled meat causes cancer
In 2005, The New York Times printed a column linking grilled meats with cancer. This myth states that eating meat cooked on a grill or pan-fried can increase your risk for cancer because of chemicals created by the cooking process.

Although there has been a link between carcinogens and cancer, the truth is that very large amounts of blackened or burnt meat would have to be consumed in order to introduce a risk for cancer. The NCI recommends not eating burnt parts of meat and pre-cooking meats before cooking on the grill.

These myths are only a few of the numerous myths that circulate via the news, Web sites and daily conversations. Sometimes myths about cancer are used as scare tactics, or more often, they are circulated because of poor research.
The important thing is to be aware of the facts and how they are being manipulated.  Like the NCI says, “Don’t assume that everything you read is always true.”

For more truths about what does or does not cause cancer, check out www.cancer.org.

—Bryan Messick is a kinesiology senior.

—This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec.