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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Truth: There is no evidence that bruising your breast leads to 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Truth: Absolutely not. Breast cancer is not transmitted during pregnancy or breast milk.
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.
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.
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** The text on this website is sourced from websites like emedicine and/or other verified material by government agencies around the globe along with valuable inputs and additions by our team. The content of this page is proofread and updated by the team of doctors, every once in a while, to provide the most accurate information.