Misconceptions about Cancer - mental_floss on YouTube (Ep. 39) | Mental Floss

Hi, I'm Elliot and this is Mental Floss on YouTube

Today I'm going to talk about some misconceptions about cancer. Misconception number one, all cancers are similar

So generally cancer means that there's an excessive growth of abnormal cells. But other than that, there are tons of different types of cancer that act totally differently

They grow and spread at different rates and they respond differently to treatments, which is why some people receive chemotherapy and others receive radiotherapy

Also, the various types of cancer have different risk factors, like excessive sun exposure is a risk factor for skin cancer

and lifestyle choices like obesity and lack of exercises are risk factors for colon, kidney, and breast cancer

Misconception number two, cancer has low survival rates. Actually, the five-year cancer survival rate has increased significantly over the past few decades

In 1975, it was 50%, and by 2004, it had climbed to 67%

And for certain types of cancer, it's even higher. Like for breast, prostate, and thyroid cancer, their survival rates are over 90%

Misconception number three, artificial sweeteners raise cancer risk. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, over half of Americans believe that

artificial sweetener causes cancer. That's a smaller percentage than people who believe that lack of exercise does, which

is an actual cancer risk. In fact, scientists have found no link between artificial sweeteners and cancer

Misconception number four, deodorant causes breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute has stated, the best studies so far have found no evidence

linking the chemicals typically found in antiperspirants and deodorants with changes in breast tissue

Misconception number five, breast cancer only happens to women. Every year, 2,350 men in the US are diagnosed

with invasive breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, and 440 men die of breast cancer in the US every year

But for men the risk is 100 times less common than for women Misconception number six all cancers are painful Whether or not a cancer causes pain depends on the type location stage and treatment In fact the Mayo Clinic has announced that some cancers never cause any pain

For instance, sometimes thyroid cancer has no symptoms. Misconception number seven, physical injuries can cause cancer later in life

In a survey conducted by the American Cancer Society, 37% of Americans believed that this

one was true. But, usually, experts can blame cancer on genetic changes in a person

Things like falls, bruises, and broken bones are not considered cancer risks, though in

some rare instances skin cancer might start in a burn scar. Misconception number eight, a lump is the number one indicator of breast cancer

There are actually many other ways to tell if breast cancer is present, including skin irritation, pain, redness, and discharge

Underarm swelling is sometimes an indicator of breast cancer, too, even before a lump might

be noticeable. And there may be no symptoms, but a mammogram will detect the cancer

Misconception number nine, nonsmokers don't get lung cancer. Amazingly, 10-15% of people who have lung cancer in the US have never smoked, and 16,000-24,000

of non-smoking Americans die of lung cancer every year. Interestingly, these people tend to be diagnosed at a younger age than smokers who get lung

cancer, and non-smokers with lung cancer are more often women than men. Some lung cancer risks that aren't smoking include secondhand smoke, air pollution, and

gene mutations. Misconception at number 10, surgery causes cancer to spread. According to the National Cancer Society, in nearly all cases, surgery does not cause

cancer to spread. Some tumor surgeries are more risky like with eye and testicular tumors, but it's a total

misconception that air will cause cancer to spread during surgery