9 myths about chemotherapy explained

6. Everybody loses their hair
Not true. "With more and more [of the new chemo drugs], this is less and less likely," says Stewart. Although we have already learned that damage of the hair follicles at the cellular level can be a side effect of the cytotoxic properties of chemo drugs, many new medications are so targeted that this most recognizable feature of cancer treatment is no longer a given. Even with a disease like lung cancer, which was once almost impossible to treat, new drugs such as Cisplatin and Vinorelbine cause very little cellular damage other than to metastasizing cancer cells.

7. I can't get pregnant during chemo
"This is a big one," Stewart says. It is a misconception that she finds necessary to address with patients at the very beginning of their treatment cycle. Many women and their partners assume that they cannot conceive during chemotherapy, and find out how wrong they are a short time into treatment. "We really stress birth control," she adds. Pregnancy can be an enormous complication during chemo, so extra vigilance is recommended. And it's not just women who think they're infertile. Chemotherapy does not necessarily kill sperm cells, so men should not forgo regular birth control methods when they are undergoing chemo.

8. Chemo makes me toxic
We have to accept the fact that chemo drugs are powerful medications, and many have toxic properties that can be harmful if not administered with great care and expertise. But they do not make patients untouchable. "Many patients think that they need to sleep in different beds from their partners, or use different washrooms," says Stewart. This is not the case. A chemo patient cannot contaminate their family or friends with toxic excretions, so there is no issue with maintaining a regular lifestyle.

9. The cure is worse than the disease
Many people are under the impression that chemotherapy will significantly reduce their quality of life for an extended period of time. Dr. Shepard contradicts this by pointing out that "the transient negative effects are worth the goal, and the side effects usually disappear shortly after treatment."

We meet more and more cancer survivors, and encounter so many more individuals who continue working and living their lives with only a few small concessions to their treatment. Chemo can take an emotional, mental and physical toll, but it is not as devastating as many patients assume. Furthermore, treatments have become so effective that, as Ms. Stewart points out, "we have turned cancer into a chronic disease rather than acute disease that kills."

Chemotherapy can be a tough slog for those who must endure it, but the myths about the treatment engender a fear that has little basis in reality. Most of the public seems to think of chemotherapy much as it was in the '50s or '60s, and are unaware of the immense changes that the process has undergone. "It is now much easier to endure," says Stewart.