Here's one of the most common cancer myths: When a surgeon performs a biopsy or surgery on a cancerous tumor, the exposure to the air causes the cancer cells to spread much faster throughout the body. “I hear this myth all the time, it’s the most common cancer myth I hear,” said Joel Mayerson, director of the James sarcoma program. In Episode 86 of the James Cancer-Free World podcast, we’ll explore and set the record straight on more cancer myths with the help of several James experts. Some of the myths we debunk include: Patients who undergo radiation treatment actually become radioactive; an occasional cigarette won’t increase the risk of cancer; pipes and cigars and clove cigarettes aren’t nearly as bad for people as cigarettes; only older people get skin cancer; people with darker skin do not get skin cancer; and smoking and drinking is the primary cause of head and neck cancer.