Crux of Cancer – Fear, Phobia, Fright, Fight Cancer is a renegade system of growth that originates within a patient’s biosystem, more commonly known as the human body. There are many different types of cancers, but all share one hallmark characteristic: unchecked growth of cells that progresses toward limitless expansion. Because cancer is so prevalent, people have many questions about its biology, detection, diagnosis, treatment, possible causes, and strategies for prevention. At the same time, people have so many myths and misconceptions about cancer and its treatment. Cancer often creates fear which comes out of ignorance and misconception. Some of the Myths about cancer are - No treatment of lump because it is painless, Cancer is incurable, Cancer will spread once touched by surgery or biopsy, Cancer is contagious, Cancer treatment is usually worse than the disease. Even after decades of successful management of cancer and millions of cured patients, we have not been able to remove these myths and misconception from minds of people. Actually, Cancer is curable if treated in early stages, cancer do not spread by biopsy or surgery, cancer is not contagious and cancer treatment do not have much of side effects with advances in medical field. But because of lack of awareness, shyness on part of patients, social stigma, patients present late for treatment and do not get good results. A vicious cycle develops in minds of people when a cancer patient seeks treatment in late stages of disease and could not get result according to his expectations, other people surrounding him develops negative views about cancer treatment. We need to understand that with early/timely treatment, we can get very good results in cancer treatment. Infact, 1 out of 3 cancer death can be prevented by early detection and treatment. These myths and misconcepts about cancer disease and fear and phobia about cancer treatment need to be removed from minds of people to get best results of cancer management. Public awareness campaign by print and electronic media, including topics about cancer in education at school level, Cancer screening programmes, lifestyle modifications and early and proper treatment of diagnosed cases can help us to remove fear about this disease from minds of people. By Dr Dinesh Gupta Consultant Oncosurgeon, Shalby Hospital, Jaipur DRDEEGEE@GMAIL.COM