Iran (IMNA) — For many people, cancer is more than the name of a disease; it is a word associated with fear and uncertainty about the future. While some of these reactions stem from the complexity of cancer, others arise from incomplete information, unscientific narratives and misconceptions passed from one person or generation to another.
When a disease is understood through the lens of rumor and fear, even accurate medical information can become obscured by misconceptions.
Advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment in recent years have contributed to a more informed understanding of the disease. Cancer, however, remains a complex group of diseases, and treatment outcomes are not the same for every patient. The type of cancer, stage at diagnosis, the individual’s physical condition and response to treatment can all influence prognosis. Therefore, treating all cancers as the same and making definitive assumptions about the outcome for every patient is inconsistent with medical reality.
Misconceptions about how cancer develops or spreads can also have significant social consequences. The belief that cancer is contagious may lead patients to face social distancing rather than receiving support from family and friends. Similarly, attributing all cases of cancer to heredity can minimize the role of potentially modifiable factors, including lifestyle and certain environmental exposures, and may influence people’s approach to prevention.
Even everyday events are sometimes incorrectly linked to cancer. A person may notice a lump or another physical change after experiencing an injury or accident and conclude that the incident caused the disease. In reality, the event may simply have prompted the person to notice a pre-existing change earlier. Addressing such misconceptions requires access to reliable information and replacing speculation and rumor with scientific evidence.
Medical Facts That Can Replace Fear with Hope
Pezhman Aghdak, physician and spokesman for Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, told IMNA that cancer is among the diseases in which the fear and anxiety it generates can sometimes affect individuals and families even more profoundly than the disease itself.
A significant portion of this anxiety, he said, stems from inaccurate information and misconceptions that have become widespread in society over the years. Developing an accurate understanding of cancer, consulting reliable sources and avoiding rumors can play an important role in reducing fear, increasing public awareness and helping patients choose the appropriate treatment pathway.
Aghdak identified the first misconception as the belief that a cancer diagnosis means the end of life.
“Cancer is a complex disease, and its prognosis depends on factors such as the type of cancer, the stage of the disease, the individual’s general health and the response to treatment,” he said.
He added that today, a significant proportion of cancers are preventable, while many others can be treated or effectively controlled when diagnosed and treated appropriately.
According to the physician and spokesman for Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, scientific estimates indicate that approximately 40 percent of cancer cases are potentially preventable, while more than half of cancers can result in recovery or effective disease control when appropriately diagnosed and treated.
Many people living with cancer can also continue to live for many years with a good quality of life, he said. Therefore, a cancer diagnosis should not be interpreted as a reason for hopelessness or surrendering to the disease.
Family History: A Medical Warning or a Definite Fate?
Aghdak identified the second misconception as the belief that cancer is a contagious disease.
“Cancer is not normally transmitted from one person to another, and being around someone with cancer does not cause others to develop the disease,” he said.
Patients with cancer, therefore, need emotional support, companionship and affection from their families and friends more than ever. Avoiding or isolating a patient based on the misconception that cancer is contagious has no scientific basis and may make the individual’s psychological and social circumstances more difficult.
Aghdak said the third misconception is that cancer is exclusively hereditary and is passed through families.
“Only a proportion of cancers have a clearly established genetic and hereditary basis,” he said, adding that an estimated 5 to 10 percent of cancers are directly associated with inherited genetic changes.
A family history may play a role in the risk of certain types of cancer. However, lifestyle and environmental factors—including tobacco use, dietary factors, excess weight and certain environmental exposures—also play important roles in the development of many cancers.
Having or not having a family history of cancer alone does not determine an individual’s fate, Aghdak said, emphasizing that preventive measures and a healthy lifestyle remain fundamentally important.
He identified the fourth misconception as the belief that an injury or accident can cause cancer.
A person may sometimes discover a lump or another physical change after experiencing an injury or accident. However, this does not mean that the injury caused the cancer. In many cases, the injury may simply have prompted the person to pay greater attention to that particular area of the body, leading to the detection of a change or lump that had already been present.
The Social Impact of Cancer Misconceptions
The experience of cancer extends beyond medical diagnosis and treatment. The way society perceives the disease can also affect patients and their families.
If cancer is initially defined as synonymous with hopelessness and the end of life, patients may consider themselves defeated even before treatment begins. By contrast, understanding the differences among types of cancer and recognizing the factors that influence prognosis can foster a more realistic perspective on the course of the disease.
Correcting the misconception that cancer is contagious is also particularly important from a social perspective. Because of their physical and psychological circumstances, patients with cancer need the support of those around them more than ever. Social distancing based on a false belief can place additional burdens on their lives, while greater public awareness can help ensure that patients receive stronger family and social support rather than experiencing isolation.
At the same time, recognizing the role of different factors in cancer development does not mean disregarding genetics. Rather, it demonstrates that cancer should not be attributed to a single cause in every case.
Alongside hereditary factors, a range of lifestyle and environmental factors can influence cancer risk. This multifactorial perspective further highlights the importance of prevention, reducing risky behaviors and maintaining overall health.
Combating misconceptions about cancer is an important part of improving public health. A cancer diagnosis does not necessarily mean the end of life; a person with cancer is not a source of infection to others; and a lump or physical change discovered after an accident is not necessarily the result of that incident.
Replacing rumors with reliable information can help people approach cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment with greater awareness rather than fear or assumptions about a predetermined outcome.
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