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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
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
Content
Myth: A positive attitude is all you need to beat cancer
Myth: If we can put someone on the moon, we should have cured cancer by now
Myth: New cancer treatments are being kept from the public
Myth: Regular checkups and today's medical technology can find 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: Everyone with the same kind of cancer gets the same kind of treatment
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
Content
Myth: A positive attitude is all you need to beat cancer
Myth: If we can put someone on the moon, we should have cured cancer by now
Myth: New cancer treatments are being kept from the public
Myth: Regular checkups and today's medical technology can find 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: Everyone who has the same kind of cancer gets the same kind of treatment
Truth: Your healthcare professional tailors your treatment to you. What treatment you receive depends on where your cancer is, whether or how much it has spread, how it's affecting your body functions, your general health, and other factors.
More and more, healthcare professionals are using genetic testing to help guide treatments. They may look at how specific changes in your cancer cells could affect your treatment. Also, cancer treatments may depend on the genes that you're born with. Some genes may show that your body reacts to certain chemotherapy treatments and medicines differently than someone else might.
