11 breast cancer myths busted! From blaming bras to only inheriting the disease, here's the truth
Breast cancer is one of the better-known cancers, but there continue to be several misconceptions and factors out there that research has shown are not linked to the disease. One may see information online or hear about these disproven or controversial factors, hence it is important to separate myths from facts, say health experts.
Myth: Most breast lumps are cancers/Breast cancer always causes a lump
Fact: While a breast lump can be a sign of breast cancer, many times it is not related to cancer. Further, breast cancer may not always cause a lump that a person can feel. Other signs and symptoms can be a change in the size or the shape of the breast; changes to the skin over the breast; peeling, scaling, or flaking in the nipple area; a newly inverted nipple; pain in the nipple area or any area of the breast. These symptoms can happen with other conditions that are not cancer. Experts advise that any persistent change in the breast should be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Myth: Breast cancer can only be inherited
Fact: Inherited changes (mutations) in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase the risk of getting breast cancer. But only about 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, meaning that they result directly from gene changes passed on from a parent. Most women who develop breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease. Overall, about 15% of women with breast cancer have a family member with this disease.
Myth: Deodorant can cause breast cancer
Fact: Since underarm antiperspirants or deodorants are applied near the breast and contain chemicals, many have suggested a possible connection between their use and breast cancer. They claim that chemicals in underarm antiperspirants are absorbed through the skin, interfere with lymph circulation, and cause toxins to build up in the breast, eventually leading to breast cancer. However, there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence linking the chemicals typically found in antiperspirants and deodorants with changes in breast tissue, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and ACS. “Based on the available evidence (including what we know about how the body works), there is little if any reason to believe that antiperspirants increase the risk of breast cancer,” says the American Cancer Society (ACS). Find more information here and here.
Myth: Bras can cause breast cancer
Fact: Some have suggested that bras cause breast cancer by obstructing lymph flow. But there is no good scientific or clinical basis for this claim and a 2014 study of more than 1,500 women found no association between wearing a bra and breast cancer risk.
Myth: Induced abortion increases the risk
Fact: Several studies have provided very strong data that neither induced abortions nor spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) have an overall effect on the risk of breast cancer. “The topic of abortion and breast cancer highlights many of the most challenging aspects of studies of people and how those studies do or do not translate into public health guidelines. The issue of abortion generates passionate viewpoints in many people. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women aside from skin cancer; and breast cancer is the second leading cancer killer in women. Still, the public is not well-served by false alarms. At this time, the scientific evidence does not support the notion that abortion of any kind raises the risk of breast cancer or any other type of cancer,” emphasizes ACS.
Myth: Young women do not get breast cancer
Fact: Most breast cancers are found in women who are 55 years old or older, but breast cancer also affects younger women. About 11% of all new cases of breast cancer in the US are found in women younger than 45 years of age. So self-breast awareness is key and promptly reporting any changes to the physician is critical.
Myth: Men do not get breast cancer
Fact: It is rare in men, but about 1 out of every 100 breast cancers diagnosed in the US are found in a man. Men are also more likely than women to be diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer, which could reflect decreased awareness and delayed detection.
Myth: Mammograms cause cancer
Fact: The radiation emitted from a mammogram is minimal. For many women, mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer in its early stages, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Find more information on the benefits and risks of mammography here.
Myth: Breast screening prevents breast cancer
Fact: No, breast screening only helps find breast cancer if it is already there.
Myth: Breast cancer is contagious
Fact: You cannot catch breast cancer or transfer it to someone else’s body. It is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn into cancer.
Myth: There is nothing one can do to lower the risk
Fact: Having a risk factor or even many does not mean you will get the disease and not all risk factors have the same effect. While you cannot change some breast cancer risk factors such as family history and aging, for example, there are those that you can control. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and limiting alcohol intake if you drink, can help lower the risk, but they cannot guarantee that a person will never get the disease.