Testicular cancer will end your sex life
Fact: Once cured from the disease you can have a normal sex live
Tight underpants cause testicular cancer.
Fact: It only causes discomfort.
Prostate cancer is an old man’s disease.
Fact: While it may be true that the older you are, the more likely you are to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, the fact remains that 35% of those diagnosed, or more than 76 000 each year, are diagnosed at an earlier age.
A high PSA score means you have prostate cancer
Fact: Not necessarily. Your PSA could be high due to an enlarged prostate or inflammation in your prostate.
Testicular cancer will end your sex life
Fact: In the majority of testicular cancer cases, only one testicle is removed. The man will not notice any changes to his sex drive or ability to have children. With the removal of both testicles, however, a man does become sterile and is much more likely to lose interest in sex. Hormonal injections may at least take care of issues with sex drive.
Cancer is a disease of the wealthy and developed countries
Fact: Anyone can get cancer, no matter who you are or where you live.
Cancer is a death sentence
Fact: If detected early, the cancer can be cured.
Masturbation causes testicular or prostate cancer.
Fact: It actually reduces the risk of testicular and prostate cancer.
Women have prostates but they don´t cause as much trouble.
Fact: A survey found that over 50% of men believe women have prostates. But it´s FALSE, which is great news, otherwise more people might have to get up in the middle of the night for a pee!
Vasectomies cause prostate cancer
Fact: Having a vasectomy was once thought to increase a man’s risk. This issue has since been carefully researched by epidemiologists. Vasectomy has not been linked to increasing a man’s chance of getting prostate cancer but has led to the prostate being checked by the urologist MORE OFTEN, and prostate cancer consequently being detected in the clinic.
Surgery causes testicular cancer to spread.
Fact: Surgery is usually done to prevent cancer from spreading.
An undescended testicle will become cancerous.
Only old people get cancer
Fact: You can get cancer at any age. The youngest girl in South Africa reported with breast cancer was 6 years old.
Cancer is my fate
Fact: Cancer is a disease that can affect everyone.
We must not talk about cancer
Fact: We must talk about cancer and by talking about it, you are making other people aware of it.
I don’t have the right to cancer care
Fact: Everyone, not matter who you are or where you live, has the right to any medical care
Cancer is always painful
Fact: Most cancerous lumps / tumours present themselves as painless
If you are diagnosed with cancer, you will probably die
Fact: If untreated, there is a possibility it could be fatal, but if caught in time and treated, you can live a long life.
Pesticides cause cancer
Fact: What we do know is, there are clear links between many industrial chemicals and some cancers. So if you work with these chemicals, wear protective gear.
Drinking alcohol may make you more likely to get mouth, liver, colon, breast, and other cancers. It doesn’t matter if you prefer beer, wine, or liquor.
Fact: It’s how much you drink that counts. The more you drink, the higher the risk.
What can you do to lower your chances of getting cancer?
Exercise, along with healthy eating and managing your weight, can make you less likely to get
certain cancers, including breast and colon cancer.
Fact: There are other contributing factors that can increase your risk of getting cancer, such as stress, family history, previous cancers, etc…
There is nothing I can do about cancer
Fact: With the right treatment cancer can be cured.
Cancer is a disease you get from upsetting your ancestors
Fact: Our lifestyle can contribute to us getting cancer, eg smoking, drinking, poor diet, lack of exercise, family history, etc..
All tumours are cancerous
Fact: Not necessarily, it’s good to check out every lump or tumour to see if it is cancerous or not.
You can catch cancer from other people
Fact: Cancer is not contagious. People with cancer in the family will have a higher chance of getting cancer than with those with no cancer in the family.
Regularly eating burnt meat cooked on a braai won´t increase your risk for cancer
Fact: Eating burnt meat regularly can increase your risk for cancer.
For most cancers, a biopsy can cause cancer cells to spread
Fact: A biopsy can detect cancer and even the stages of the cancer.
Do cell phones cause cancer?