Medicare Coverage for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Cancer begins in your cells, which are the building blocks of your body. Normally, your body forms new cells as you need them, replacing old cells that die. Sometimes this process goes wrong. New cells grow even when you don't need them, and old cells don't die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass called a tumor. Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors aren't cancer while malignant ones are. Cells from malignant tumors can invade nearby tissues. They can also break away and spread to other parts of the body.

Medicare Coverage for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Cancer is not just one disease but many diseases. There are more than 100 different types of cancer. Most cancers are named for where they start. For example, lung cancer starts in the lung, and breast cancer starts in the breast. The spread of cancer from one part of the body to another is called metastasis. Symptoms and treatment depend on the cancer type and how advanced it is. Most treatment plans may include surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy. Some may involve hormone therapy, biologic therapy, or stem cell transplantation.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Misconceptions about cancer causes can lead to unnecessary worry about your health. Find out whether there's any truth to these common myths about the causes of cancer.

Scary claims circulate on the Internet that everyday objects and products, such as plastic and deodorant, are secret cancer causes. Beyond being wrong, many of these myths may cause you to worry unnecessarily about your own health and the health of your family.

Before you panic, take a look at the facts.

Here, Timothy J. Moynihan, M.D., a cancer specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., takes a closer look at some popular myths about cancer causes and explains why they just aren't true. 

Fact: There's no conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants with breast cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute and other research.

Some reports have suggested that these products contain harmful substances such as aluminum compounds and parabens that can be absorbed through the skin or enter the body through nicks caused by shaving. No clinical studies have yet given a definitive answer to the question of whether these products cause breast cancer. But the evidence to date suggests these products don't cause cancer.

If you're still concerned that your underarm antiperspirant or deodorant could increase your risk of cancer, choose products that don't contain chemicals that worry you.

Fact: Microwave-safe plastic containers and wraps are safe to use in the microwave.

But plastic containers not intended for use in the microwave could melt and potentially leak chemicals into your food. So avoid microwaving containers that were never intended for the microwave, such as margarine tubs, takeout containers or whipped topping bowls.

Check to see that any container you use in the microwave is labeled as microwave-safe. 

Fact: Sugar doesn't make cancer grow faster. All cells, including cancer cells, depend on blood sugar (glucose) for energy. But giving more sugar to cancer cells doesn't speed their growth. Likewise, depriving cancer cells of sugar doesn't slow their growth.

This misconception may be based in part on a misunderstanding of positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which use a small amount of radioactive tracer — typically a form of glucose. All tissues in your body absorb some of this tracer, but tissues that are using more energy — including cancer cells — absorb greater amounts. For this reason, some people have concluded that cancer cells grow faster on sugar. But this isn't true.

However, there is some evidence that consuming large amounts of sugar is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, including esophageal cancer. It can also lead to weight gain and increase the risk of obesity and diabetes, which may increase the risk of cancer. 

Fact: In ancient times, illness was often viewed as punishment for bad actions or thoughts. In some cultures that view is still held.

If this were true, though, how would you explain the 6-month-old or the newborn who gets cancer? These little ones haven't been bad.

There's absolutely no evidence that you get cancer because you deserve it. 

Fact: There's no need to avoid someone who has cancer. You can't catch it. It's OK to touch and spend time with someone who has cancer. In fact, your support may never be more valuable.

Though cancer itself isn't contagious, sometimes viruses, which are contagious, can lead to the development of cancer. Examples of viruses that can cause cancer include:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) — a sexually transmitted infection — that can cause cervical cancer and other forms of cancer
• Hepatitis B or C — viruses transmitted through sexual intercourse or use of infected IV needles — that can cause liver cancer

Talk to your doctor about ways to protect yourself from these viruses.