MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'cancer myths'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:31:30 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302588&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2010%2F02%2Fnot-again-another-pitch-for-an-inspirational-cancer-story.html You would think these PR people would at least READ a few posts on my blog before they send pitches to me, especially since I am almost 100-percent guaranteed to make fun of them. After all, they make it so easy. The subject line on this pitch was "The Gift of Cancer," with the caps just as I have typed them. So already I'm gagging, and thinking about sending the PR person the link to my "Gag Me With a Pink Ribbon" post ... The pitch has the usual cancer cliches, in this case, "valiant battle" and "charmed life" to describe life before cancer. But here's the twist, this isn't even a first-person inspirational cancer story, it's a story told by a husband who was living a charmed life until his wife discovered she had ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302588 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:34:39 +0100 3302588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667495&cid=t_158451_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2Fti_isGqDib4%2F With so much in the news these days about skin cancer, what does it all mean? While the sky isn’t falling in quite yet, there are major concerns about how the sunlight is affecting our skin and causing increasing numbers of serious and potentially fatal skin cancers. On the other hand, we also read about how we’re not getting enough sunlight and we’re becoming Vitamin D deficient. Moderation is absolutely the key in most things. By taking in bits of sunshine to satisfy our vitamin D needs, we’re not usually exposing ourselves to enough sunlight to have to worry about melanoma (skin cancer). However, by believing in certain myths, we just may be increasing our risk. To help you sort out what is what when it comes to sunshine and skin cancer, here is a video made by D... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667495 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:49:23 +0100 2667495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299214&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fmore-on-brassage.html The Good Morning America piece on the brassage, for which ABC flew me to NYC for an interview, has gotten lots of pick up. Thanks, Teri, for finding these for me. (Teri, the Cheeky Librarian, is a demon researcher.)WebMD: The Brassage for Wellness? Chicago Sun-Times: 'Brassage' pulled from market after 'GMA' report Your Tango: The Brassage Is a Scam Examiner.com: Buyer Beware of the Brassage KSTP.com: A bra that improves your health? WZZM.com: Need a Brassage? Associated Content: The Brassage and Other Medically Dubious Clothing The Inquisitr: The Brassage Bra: Little Support for Self-Massaging Lingerie College News: The Brassage Wow. All this coverage is a good example of the "food chain" theory of journ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299214 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:47:22 +0100 2299214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299215&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fthe-brassage-interview-airs.html I'm putting this one under "quacks." Also under "breasts and boobs" and "cancer myths."The interview that I did last December with JuJu Chang at ABC finally aired this morning, and I think it was a good piece. The story was about a product called the "brassage," which I blogged about quite awhile ago. The manufacturers of the bra claimed that it could prevent breast cancer, which of course it can't. When interviewed by JuJu, the woman behind the bra said she didn't claim that, but asked "could it hurt"? Well, that's not good enough, as I said in the piece. Watch it online: Wellness LingerieTo find the video, go to the link above, and then look at the upper right corner where it says "watch video.... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299215 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:51:24 +0100 2299215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306916&cid=t_158451_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fskin-cancer-myths-exposed%2F After a long, hard winter, everyone just wants to get out and catch some sun rays, feel the warm, and get a bit of color back in the skin. But while the sun makes us feel good, it’s not always the best thing for us. With the incidence of skin cancer on the rise, it’s important to remember to stop and protect ourselves before we head out into the sun. It’s also important to know fact from fiction when it comes to what’s good and bad about the sun. Myth #1:   Dark-skinned people are safe from sun damage and skin cancer risks. Even though those with brown skin have lots of melanin which offers more protection against UV rays, they are more prone to moles. And abnormal moles are a major risk factor for melanoma. Myth #2: Lip Gloss can protect the skin. Not accord... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306916 Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:53:49 +0100 2306916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1847857&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fwhat-happened-to-one-in-8.html It wasn't all that many years ago that "breast cancer advocacy" organizations, like Komen, were scaring American women silly by telling them that their breast cancer risk was one in eight.Well, to cut to the chase, that number was NEVER right, and American women's risk was never that high. But it sure got our attention. Then, as critics continued to point out the problems with that figure, the organizations modified their line to "a one in eight LIFETIME risk," which was confusing, because they rarely explained what they meant by that. Now, for the most part, no one is claiming one in eight anymore. What's the truth? Well, the one in eight figure came from earlier stats from the National Cancer Institute that said if a woman lived to ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1847857 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:51:05 +0100 1847857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833308&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F402861344%2F When I entitled my last post “Now reading,” I meant it especially much. I am still reading it, almost exclusively out of the pile of my current reading. What the Anticancer book giving me is a plan of living, post cancer, so as to minimize the possibility of a relapse. As Gail said in her response a bit further down, on “Cancer myths, and recovering,” this fear never really leaves one. It’s always somewhere in your head, buried, it is to be hoped, under many happier thoughts. What I am doing: haven’t had meat since Tuesday (or was it Monday?), giving up sugar for agave nectar (delicious as honey or sugar, but with much lower glycemic index), trying to eat more plain fresh fruit and dried figs. One can have real sugar, etc, but only as an occasional treat... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833308 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:42:53 +0100 1833308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815405&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F399838866%2F Via Jeanne Sather, we have… The Assertive Cancer Patient : Sunday: More Cancer Myths. My personal favorite debunking is that of Cancer Myth 1: The risk of dying from cancer in the United States is increasing. Respondents Who Agreed: 68 percent Origin of Myth: Many people believe that their risk for cancer is growing because cancer figures are sometimes reported out of context. The actual number of people who are diagnosed and who die of cancer each year has indeed grown — because the U.S. population is growing larger, and is aging. Cancer is more common among the elderly, so more cases are to be expected as the average age of the U.S. population increases. A closer look at the numbers by age group shows the cancer risk for Americans is actually dropping. Reality: The risk of ... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815405 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:17:11 +0100 1815405 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1812658&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fsunday-more-cancer-myths.html Here are the top 10 cancer myths, according to Discover Health: Top 10 Cancer Myths I actually have a bone to pick with Myth No. 5, which says that treating cancer with surgery causes it to spread throughout the body. False, says Discover's expert, Dr. Ted Gansler of the American Cancer Society. I believe that the stereotactic biopsy--which punched out 10 "worms" of tissue from my breast, leaving lots of bleeding and bruising--that I had when my cancer was diagnosed may have released cancer cells into my blood stream. My cancer did not spread through my lymph nodes--I've never had a cancerous node--so it must have spread through the blood. I think that oncologists think that any cancer cells that are floating around after this kind of procedure or... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1812658 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:53:25 +0100 1812658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791567&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fsunday-reading-the-cancer-prone-and-other-myths.html My "favorite" cancer myth is the one about having a cancer-prone personality. Thank goodness, researchers debunked this one!Of course, that makes me wonder about something I take for granted, which is that being an assertive cancer patient can help you live longer. And have better quality of life. But maybe I'm mixing peaches and pears here?One that bothers me more, because I've lived it, is the cultural myth that all you need to do is get a terminal illness to fix all your family relationships. The movie "Life as a House" plays to this one. The "Cancer Myths" section of my blog is looking a little thin, so please send me your favorite cancer myths: jeanne.sather@gmail.comRead more: Cancer News, Myths, and MoreLife as a House More Cancer... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791567 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:05:49 +0100 1791567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1728307&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2008%2F08%2F01%2Fin-memory%2F Randy Pausch, 1960-2008 I’ve been out of the loop. I just found out that 47-year-old professor Randy Pausch died of pancreatic cancer on July 25. I did not know him. On YouTube I watched his “last lecture,” and on March 13, I sent him this email: I thought about people like you after I was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer in 2001. I thought: Why is everything breast and prostate? What about ovarian? What about pancreatic???  The idea of lethal “orphan” cancers — where the survivors don’t live long enough to make a fuss — continues to haunt me.  Like you, I went to Washington DC to lobby. The American Cancer Society happened to be holding a rally on Capitol Hill the same day. Survivors were marching and wearing banners that read: &#8... Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1728307 Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:08:09 +0100 1728307 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1188499&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fcancer-news-myt.html First of all, let me say that I didn't know about the myth that this study has debunked. Blissful ignorance, that's me. If I had known, I would have been mad, because it falls, yet again, in the "blame the victim" category: The idea that women with certain personality traits were more likely to get breast cancer. Of course, that assumes that your personality is within your control, and I'm not so sure about that. Anyway, according to a report from Reuters, some researchers in the 1980s had advanced the idea of a "cancer-prone" personality with such traits as stoicism and difficulty in expressing emotions. The new study, done in the Netherlands, measured women for 11 personality traits and then followed them for 13 or 14 years to see who got breast cancer. You will be happy to know... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1188499 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:34:55 +0100 1188499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1173026&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2008%2F01%2Flife-as-a-house.html When I watched this film, I cried. Of course I cried. The entire film was designed to make me cry. I did, however, identify with George’s desire to build his dream house before dying of cancer. I think most of us who have this disease discover that we want to leave a legacy, be it a dream house or a blog. A couple of things that will annoy real-world cancer patients: It is clear that George has cancer and is not expected to live more than a few months. But the film never makes it clear WHAT KIND of cancer. And of course we want to know. We especially want to know because George does not undergo cancer treatment, and he says at one point that his doctors did not offer him treatment. Just some really good pain killers. What kind of cancer was that?--I can’t help but wonder, a... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1173026 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:26:43 +0100 1173026 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1059925&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fmore-cancer-myt.html A friend e-mailed me this myth: One cancer myth that I consider outdated but that unfortunately persists is the myth that a person who is very likely or perhaps certainly dying from cancer can't face this reality and that family/friends should "shelter" the person by pretending it's otherwise. Case in point: A 40-something woman who was about to introduce me to her father, a man who was standing outside the room and would become my patient in a health care setting moments later, explained to me he had liver cancer and then, with a look of doom, whispered that it had metastasized, as if he shouldn't hear this. From what I know about his situation, I trust he did know. But the woman's manner reinforced the myth nonetheless: "We are not to acknowledge these things in front of the people m... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1059925 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:16:58 +0100 1059925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1057232&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fsend-me-your-ca.html I just wrote a post about "Christmas in July," and in writing it I realized that celebrating a holiday out of season for the sake of someone who is seriously ill with cancer is part of the cancer mythology of our culture. I like that term, "cancer mythology," and I want to expand on it. Amorette posted a comment to my blog the other day that includes another cancer myth. She wrote: Mom and I just watched "Christmas with the Kranks" (which, in my opinion, is one of the DUMBEST movies ever made). Even in the comedies, they have to sneak a cancer patient in for poignancy. I hate that. This was a neighbor who had cancer for the "3rd time, and we think this might be it." Of course, the woman is a veritable angel, given how close to heaven we assume she is. Never a harsh word out of her, ... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1057232 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:52:34 +0100 1057232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1057233&cid=t_158451_136_f&fid=35303&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.assertivepatient.com%2F2007%2F11%2Fsurviving-the-8.html The family of a woman who died of cancer in October was talking about celebrating Thanksgiving early, so that she could be there. But she died before they could do more than discuss the idea. Another blogger, whose 20-year-old daughter died, also in October, also of cancer, just a week before her 21st birthday, asked his daughter if she wanted to celebrate her birthday early. "No, that's cheating," she said, and her father respected her wishes. I don't know what he did with all the party decorations and gifts he had already bought. Threw them in the trash? Gave then to Goodwill? It's a painful thought. Celebrating a holiday out of season for the sake of someone who is seriously ill with cancer is part of the cancer mythology of our culture. But I, for one, don't really understand i... The Assertive Cancer Patient blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1057233 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:33:34 +0100 1057233