The “cancer personality” is a myth that deserves continuous debunking

You’ve probably heard of the “cancer personality.” The idea is that certain personality traits somehow nurture cancer.

Let’s ignore for one second how insulting that is to anyone who has ever suffered with and fought cancer. It’s also medically ridiculous.

This concept has been around for a long time. Then European researchers gave it a boost in the 1980s.

Later scrutiny showed inconsistencies and manipulated data in that research. But the damage was done.

A few years ago, a Japanese study examined more than 30,000 subjects. Results showed no link between any type of cancer and any personality trait.

And now recent research from the Danish Cancer Society confirms those results. Plus, this trial had twice as many subjects as the Japanese study.

So let’s put this myth to bed and concentrate on helping cancer patients instead of insulting them.

Sources:
“Personality Not Linked to Cancer Risk of Prognosis” Amy Norton, Reuters Health, reutershealth.com