When I was a kid someone whom I respected told me that cancer spreads quickly when exposed to air. In fact, they told me that, during surgery, if there was cancer in the body, then it would grow and spread right before the surgeon's eyes. I always thought it scary, and as an adult it's something I know is wrong but will never forget. It looks like this belief about cancer spreading in air was more than just my own:

Belief may cause some to reject lung cancer surgery Last Updated: 2003-10-06 16:55:11 -0400 (Reuters Health) NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many people wrongly believe that exposing lung cancer to air during surgery causes the tumor to spread, results of a survey indicate. This belief is particularly common among African Americans and may help explain why they undergo surgery for early lung cancer less often than do white patients. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and surgery is the treatment of choice for most early-stage lung tumors. Doctors worry that widespread acceptance of this erroneous belief could undermine the best chance for cure of early-stage lung cancer. Dr. Mitchell L. Margolis, who heads the pulmonary clinic at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, noticed that patients who were being evaluated for lung tumors "frequently" voiced concern that their lung cancer would spread when exposed to air during surgery. This motivated he and his associates to survey 626 consecutive patients being evaluated at the clinic. Some had lung cancer and others had risk factors for the disease. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed were white and 27% were African American. According to a report in the medical journal Annals of Internal Medicine, 38 percent of those questioned did in fact believe that exposing a lung tumor to air during surgery would make it spread. Considerably more African American than white patients felt this was true, 61 percent versus 29 percent. Nineteen percent of African Americans and 5% of whites were opposed to lung cancer surgery based on their belief. In addition, 14 percent of African American and 5 percent of whites indicated on the survey that they would not believe their doctor if told the belief was false. The belief that lung cancer surgery causes tumors to spread is "very prevalent," Margolis told Reuters Health, especially among African Americans, and it may lead them to reject lung cancer surgery even if their doctor recommends it. He emphasized that "there is no scientific basis to support this belief and it is not a valid reason for not proceeding with needed surgery for lung cancer." Where did this belief come from? Respondents were "vague" on this point, Margolis said. "Some said they heard it from a friend or through the gossip mill. Others cited cultural beliefs." SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine October 7, 2003.