5 Common Cancer Myths You Shouldn't Believe Anymore

They say what you don't know can't hurt you. But when it comes to cancer, it's what you think you know that could actually kill you. It's time to correct 5 commonly held, but false beliefs about the big C.

Cancer Myth

MYTH #1: Cell Phones and Artificial Sweeteners Cause Cancer.

THE TRUTH: Despite the chain email your great-aunt forwarded you, "there is absolutely no evidence at this time that any of these things are associated with human cancers," says Jack Jacoub, MD, medical oncologist at Memorial Care Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, Calif.

So where'd the info even come from? Animal studies back in the 1970s linked artificial sweeteners to cancer, but the same findings didn't pan out in humans, according to the National Cancer Institute. 

And though some studies have shown an association between cell phones and brain cancer, others have demonstrated none—and groups such as the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization say there's insufficient evidence to support any health harms.

So, where is the rumors come from?

Bottom line: To get the biggest bang for your cancer-prevention buck, try to focus on things that have been scientifically proven to reduce cancer risk, says Jacoub. Cut back on booze, quit smoking, eat more vegetables, and keep your weight in check with plenty of exercise.

Quit Smoking is better than believing some myth

MYTH #2: People with Darker Skin Can't Get Skin Cancer.

THE TRUTH: Fair skin does boost your odds of developing both deadly melanoma and other types of skin cancer. But no hue grants you immunity from the disease, says Joshua Fox, MD, medical director of Advanced Dermatology, PC, in New York—especially if you fail to take preventive measures.

So that make them lower risk for getting skin cancer?

Dark-skinned patients and even their doctors can easily miss the warning signs of skin cancer, which frequently appear in often-overlooked places such as under their nails or on the palms, soles of the feet, and mucus membranes around the mouth, eyelid, and genitals, he notes. As a result, they're often diagnosed at later stages, when cancers have become more difficult to treat.

Darker skin sometimes can mask the symptoms of skin cancer

MYTH #3: Excess Fat Only Affects Your Heart, but Not Your Cancer Risk.

THE TRUTH: According to the American Cancer Society, extra pounds weight into as many as 1 in 5 cancer deaths. Being too heavy increases your risk of colorectal, kidney, pancreatic, gallbladder, thyroid, and prostate cancers, among others. And it may also worsen your prognosis if you do get sick.

This might be because being overweight means you have more than your share of inflammation. And that may turn normal cells cancerous by altering DNA or flipping the balance between the rate new cells form and old ones die off. Compounds released by fat cells, including estrogen, adipokines, and insulin-like growth factor can do the same thing, Jacoub says.

What's more, obesity often goes hand-in-hand with a diet high in harmful fats and low in cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables—a carcinogenic double-whammy, says Scott Shelfo, MD, medical director of urology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southeastern in Atlanta.

Too much of harmful fats

MYTH #4: Cancer Can Never Spread from Person to Person.

THE TRUTH: True, you can't catch cancer from someone else who has it. But think again, some cancer-causing viruses most definitely qualify as contagious. In fact, over the last decade or so, human papillomavirus (HPV) has dramatically changed the demographic of people coming down with mouth and throat cancers, says Robert Haddad, MD, disease center leader, head and neck oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

These cancers were once reserved for older smokers and heavy drinkers, but as many as 70% of them can now be attributed to HPV infection. The virus spreads during oral sex and can cause cancer years later, like when men hit their 40s and 50s.

Most people who have had sex eventually contract at least one strain of HPV, but the majority won't turn into cancer, Haddad says.

Get a HPV vaccination for your own protection 

MYTH #5: Getting a "Base Tan" Can Protects You from Skin Cancer.

THE TRUTH: It's time to banish the phrase "healthy glow," Fox says. Skin darkened by UV rays, whether from the sun or a tanning bed, has already sustained damage that contributes to cancer risk. That's not to mention wrinkles, dull skin, sagging, brown spots, and other signs of ageing.

Like to getting tanned?

Plus, that baseline bronzing provides you with only minimal sun protection—equivalent to an SPF of 3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And even a single sunburn boosts your odds of deadly melanoma, Fox says.

According to CDC, Getting Tanned increase the risk of getting skin cancer

Bottom line: Sunscreen is a vital step, but should serve as a secondary strategy. Start by minimizing your time under the sun between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., when UV rays beam strongest.

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