One in seven women will develop breast cancer in her life. But how much do most women really know about this disease? Here we are busting the myths about breast cancer.
• Myth#: Finding a lump in your breast means you have breast cancer.
Truth: Only a small percentage of breast lumps turn out to be cancer. But if you discover a persistent lump in your breast or notice any changes in breast tissue, it should never be ignored. It is very important that you see a physician for a clinical breast exam.
• Myth#: If you have a family history of breast cancer, you are likely to develop breast cancer, too.
Truth: Roughly 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors for the disease. But the family-history risks are these: If a first-degree relative (a parent, sibling, or child) has had or has breast cancer, your risk of developing the disease approximately doubles. Having two first-degree relatives with the disease increases your risk even more.
• Myth#: I am too young to worry about breast cancer.
Truth: Breast cancer can affect women of any age. The disease is more common in postmenopausal women, but 25 percent of women with breast cancer are younger than 50.
• Myth#: Men do not get breast cancer; it affects women only.
Truth: Quite the contrary, each year it is estimated that approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer . While this percentage is still small, men should also check themselves periodically by doing a breast self-exam while in the shower and reporting any changes to their physicians.
• Myth#: A breast injury can develop into breast cancer.
Truth: There is no evidence that bruising your breast leads to cancer.
• Myth#: Lumps are the only sign of breast cancer.
Truth: Skin irritation or dimpling, nipple pain or retraction , redness or scaliness of the nipple or a discharge other than breast milk can also be important warning signs for breast cancer.
• Myth#: Radiation therapy is dangerous and will burn my heart, ribs and lungs.
Truth: Current radiation techniques are safe and effective for treating breast cancer, with few complications. Methods used today minimize exposure to the heart, ribs and lungs.
• Myth#: Wearing an underwire bra can increase risk of breast cancer.
Truth: Belief that underwire bras compress the lymphatic system of the breast, causing toxins to accumulate and cause breast cancer, have been widely rejected . The truth is that neither the type of bra you wear nor the tightness of your underwear or other clothing has any connection to breast cancer risk.
• Myth#: You can’t get breast cancer after a mastectomy.
Truth: Some women do get breast cancer after a mastectomy, sometimes at the site of the scar. Or the original cancer may have spread. For women at high risk of breast cancer who have their breasts removed as a prophylactic or preventive measure, there’s still a chance, though a small one, that they can get breast cancer.
• Myth#: If you’re at risk for breast cancer, there’s little you can do but watch for the signs.
Truth: There’s a lot that women can do to lower their risk, including losing weight if they’re obese, getting regular exercise, lowering or eliminating alcohol consumption, being rigorous about examining their own breasts, and having regular clinical exams and mammograms.
• Myth#: Antiperspirants, cell phone and tanning causes breast cancer.
Truth: There is no evidence that these factors increase the risk of breast cancer. Tanning in the sun or in salons does increase the risk of skin cancer.
• Myth#: You can catch breast cancer from your mom when she was pregnant with you or through her breast milk.
Truth: Absolutely not. Breast cancer is not transmitted during pregnancy or breast milk.
• Myth#: If your mammography report is negative, there is nothing else to worry about.
Truth: Despite their importance for breast cancer screening and diagnosis, mammograms fail to detect around 10% to 20% of breast cancers. This is why clinical breast exams and, breast self-exams are important in screening process.
• Myth#: Fertility treatments increase the risk of getting breast cancer.
Truth: Given estrogen’s connection to breast cancer, fertility treatments have come under suspicion. But several studies have found that prospective moms are likely to have no higher risk of breast cancer.
