Ted Gansler, MD

The American Cancer Society surveyed by phone almost 1,000 people  who did not have a history of cancer. Ted Gansler, MD, of the ACS, explains the  top myths uncovered from the survey and what cancer experts know now. 

There is currently a cure for cancer, but the medical industry won't tell the public about it because they make too much money treating cancer patients.

 One argument against this conspiracy  theory is the fact that doctors, laboratory scientists and their loved ones die  of cancer at about the same rate as everyone else in the United States. (One  exception is that healthcare professionals are less likely to die of  tobacco-related cancers because they are more aware of the dangers of tobacco  and much less likely to be smokers than the rest of the population.) And why  would anyone hide a cure for cancer? Medical breakthroughs of all kinds are  quickly announced and applied—as the world has seen with antibiotics and  vaccines, such as the polio vaccine.

Finding one all-encompassing cure for cancer is unlikely because  cancer is actually many different diseases. For several forms of cancer, such as  childhood leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease and testicular cancer, cures are already  available for the majority of patients.

Electronic devices, like cell phones, can cause cancer  in the people who use them.

 This represents a legitimate area of  scientific controversy and should not be dismissed as a so-called myth. A few  studies suggested a link with certain rare types of brain tumors, but the  consensus among well-designed population studies is that there is no consistent  association between cell phone use and brain cancer. Although some studies  suggest there may be a small risk of cancer, it’s difficult to know whether  these results are reliable or are the result of statistical problems or biased  recollection by participants. Although it is reassuring that the majority of  published studies did not find any danger of cancer, there is not enough  information available to say that this concern has been disproved.

Treating cancer with surgery causes it to spread  throughout the body. 

 Specialists in cancer surgery know how  to safely take biopsy samples and to remove tumors without causing spread of the  cancer. In many cases, surgery is an essential part of the cancer treatment  plan.

For a few types of cancer, surgeons take extra precautions to  prevent any chance of the cancer spreading. For example, in testicular cancer  the entire testicle containing the cancer is removed, so no cancer cells are  dislodged. Doctors who perform surgery for cancer are highly trained in the  intricacies of cancer and anatomy.

Regularly eating meat cooked on a charcoal grill won't  increase cancer risk. 

 The worrisome chemicals created by  grilling meats are called heterocyclic amines (HAs), which form during grilling,  broiling or searing meat in a hot frying pan. While HAs cause cancer in animals,  it is uncertain whether the amounts encountered on grilled meat actually  increase cancer risk in people. Meat or chicken that is well-done or burnt  appears to be the most problematic. Based on the existing research, it seems  safe to enjoy grilled meats occasionally.

When you do grill or broil meat, you can minimize your consumption  of unhealthy chemicals in a few ways:

Precook meats in the oven or microwave, and then finish on the grill for just a few minutes.

Substitute grilled vegetables or fruits for part of the meat in your meal.

The risk of dying from cancer is increasing in the  United States. 

 The risk of being diagnosed with cancer  and the risk of dying of cancer have decreased since the early 1990s. Fewer than  half the people diagnosed with cancer today will die of the disease. Some are  completely cured, and many more people survive for years with a good quality of  life, thanks to treatments that control many types of cancer.

Reprinted with permission of  the American Cancer Society. For more information, visit 

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Based on a survey of 1,000 by the American Cancer Society, this sidebar defines certain cancer myths as fact or fiction. 

Ted Gansler, MD

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