Five Major Misconceptions of Cancer Patients Besides prevention, proper understanding and facing cancer is also the key to overcome cancer. With the development of medical technology, cancer has become a chronic disease like diabetes and high blood pressure. The purpose of cancer treatment has also changed from simply “killing” cancer cells to paying more attention to patients’ quality of life, not only to live long but also to live well. What are the common misconceptions of cancer patients? Myth 1: Afraid to face cancer directly For most people, being diagnosed with cancer is a major life-changing event, and feelings of shock, fear, anger, sadness, loneliness and anxiety arise immediately. In some environments, cancer is still a taboo for people to talk about, and cancer patients are often discriminated against, so much so that patients are afraid to admit they are cancer patients. Experts say that no one can avoid cancer, no one needs to take precautions, and it is necessary to take comprehensive measures and judge correctly. Facing cancer directly and understanding cancer correctly can enable patients to get early diagnosis and treatment and create a good environment atmosphere for them to get high-quality treatment. Myth 2: Cancer is undetectable in early stages Many people believe that there are no obvious signals in the early stages of cancer, and it is usually in the middle or late stages by the time it is detected. In fact, several cancers such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer may be detected early through routine health checkups and screening without symptoms. Tumors with more superficial locations, such as skin cancer and oral cancer, can be diagnosed through timely biopsy during physical examination. Some tumors located inside the body may also be detected early through routine examination, for example, asymptomatic early kidney cancer and early liver cancer can be detected early through ultrasonic examination. Myth 3: There is nothing we can do about cancer Although cancer is still a challenge that is still being tackled by the medical community, human beings are not helpless in the face of cancer. Studies have shown that a considerable number of common tumors can be prevented under the guidance of proper decision-making. Promoting healthy lifestyles is an important element of tumor prevention. Promotion of healthy lifestyle at global, regional as well as national levels is necessary to reduce the occurrence of cancer caused by alcohol abuse, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity. Myth 4: Don’t treat late stage cancer Late stage cancer treatment should adhere to the “people-oriented” idea, that is, to improve patients’ symptoms, control disease development, improve survival quality and prolong survival period. According to the patient’s condition, age, economic status and treatment expectation, we can provide tailor-made treatment. Patients should not be overly worried about radiotherapy and other treatments. Although radiotherapy has certain side effects, they can be effectively reduced by existing means. Patients should not refuse radiotherapy for fear of side effects. Myth 5: Treatment of cancer is the business of doctors In clinical practice, it is often when the patients’ mindset is set right and their thoughts are optimistic, coupled with scientific and standardized treatment, that the patients’ condition is stable or their lives are prolonged with the disease and their quality of life is ensured. Therefore, patients should pay attention to individual psychological and emotional fluctuations during the treatment process, because treating cancer is not only a matter for doctors, but it is also important for patients to maintain a good state of mind. Experts remind that besides the patients themselves and doctors, the responsibility of family members is also important. On the one hand, they should do a good job of psychological support for patients and provide targeted psychological guidance for different degrees of fears that patients may have; on the other hand, they should closely observe the changes of the disease to prevent complications.