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Cancer treatment myths: Any truth to these common beliefs?
Myth: Drug companies and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are blocking or withholding new cancer treatments
Myth: Everyone with the same kind of cancer gets the same kind of treatment
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Myth: A positive attitude is all you need to beat cancer
Myth: If we can put a man on the moon, we should have cured cancer by now
Myth: Drug companies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are blocking or withholding new cancer treatments
Myth: Regular checkups and today's medical technology can detect all cancer early
Myth: Undergoing cancer treatment means you can't live at home, work or go about your usual activities
Myth: Cancer is always painful
Myth: A needle biopsy can disturb cancer cells, causing them to travel to other parts of the body
Myth: Surgery causes cancer to spread
Myth: Everyone who has the same kind of cancer gets the same kind of treatment
Myth: Everyone who has cancer has to have treatment
Myth: A needle biopsy can disturb cancer cells, causing them to travel to other parts of the body
Truth: For most types of cancer, there's no conclusive evidence that a needle biopsy — a procedure used to diagnose many types of cancer — causes cancer cells to spread.
There are exceptions, though, of which doctors and surgeons are aware. For instance, a needle biopsy usually isn't used in diagnosing testicular cancer. Instead, if a doctor suspects testicular cancer, the testicle is removed.
