10 Of the Worst Misconceptions About Breast Cancer
We all get some things wrong, and that’s
usually fine, as the majority of our misconceptions are inconsequential.
But some of our false beliefs have serious risks. It is due to their
potential to cause harm that health myths are so important to tackle.
In the past year alone, 2.3 million women
received a breast cancer diagnosis. Given that breast cancer is the most
prevalent type of cancer in the world, it’s especially important for
everyone, and we mean everyone, to know the most correct and up-to-date
information about it. In this article, we clear 10 of the most
widespread misunderstandings about this dangerous disease.
Myth 1. Antiperspirants, underwire bras, and carrying a phone in your
bra or shirt pockets all increase the risk of breast cancer.
You may have heard on TV that carrying a phone in your bra or shirt
pockets raises your risk of breast cancer. Deodorants and underwire bras
have also been accused of tampering with the lymph nodes and causing
toxic chemicals to build up in the breasts. All of these claims have no
evidence to support them.
Moreover, there is a study from 2014 that looked at the impact of bra
wearing on breast cancer occurrence in 1,500 women that disproved the
claim that any type of bra has an impact on one’s breast cancer risk.
Likewise, there is no link between breast cancer and antiperspirants,
and the overblown rumor about underarm antiperspirants causing cancer
comes from studies that found aluminum in the breast tissue of women who
used antiperspirants that contain aluminum or from test-tube studies in
mice and hamsters.
However, the presence of aluminum is not related to human breast cancer
in any way, as shown by a review study from 2008 as well as a recent
paper from 2021. Therefore, there’s no reason for you to stay away from
antiperspirants, bras, and your smartphone in your jacket pocket if
you’re worried about breast cancer.
Myth 2. People with no family history of breast cancer will never get
the disease.
While it is true that some types of breast cancer can be passed from
parent to child, 90-95% of patients with this condition have no family
history of the disease. Having a parent or distant relative who has had
breast cancer, prostate cancer, or ovarian cancer is just one of the
many risk factors of the disease - and it’s not even the biggest risk
factor scientists know of.
As Dr. Michael Zeidman, an assistant professor of breast surgery at
Mount Sinai in New York City, told Medical News Today, “the most
significant risk factor for developing breast cancer is being a woman.
In the United States, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over their
lifetime.”
The sad truth is that breast cancer is unpredictable and could develop
in anyone, which is why every woman past age 40 is recommended to have a
yearly mammogram. Those with a family history of cancer may need to
start yearly screenings even earlier, so if that’s you, consult your
doctor.
Myth 3. Mammograms speed up the spread of breast cancer.
A mammogram is an or X-ray image of the breast, and it’s the most
effective way to detect breast cancer early on. Patients who undergo the
procedure are often concerned that the compression or radiation from
the mammogram can make breast cancer spread to surrounding tissues.
However, there is no evidence to confirm this claim. The National Cancer
Institute assures patients, “Mammograms require very small doses of
radiation. The risk of harm from this radiation exposure is extremely
low.” Certainly, the potential benefit of early breast cancer detection
far outweighs that minimal radiation exposure.
Myth 4. Sugar can spawn or speed up the spread of breast cancer.
This myth is a bit more complicated. It comes from the correct
assumption that cancer cells consume more sugar (glucose) than healthy
cells. However, this doesn’t mean that sugar causes cancer or makes it
spread faster. Glucose is simply the only fuel available to human cells.
All cells absorb sugar from the blood and use it to sustain and develop,
and cancer cells tend to develop faster, so they use up more glucose.
There’s no direct and convincing evidence between sugar consumption and
breast cancer, in particular.
But don’t get us wrong - we’re not saying that you should go to town on
sweets from now on because there’s no direct link between sugar and
cancer. Excessive sugar consumption, especially from processed foods or
added sugar, still increases inflammation, causes insulin spikes, and
raises one’s risk of heart disease and diabetes. Diabetes, in
particular, is linked with a higher risk of aggressive types of breast
cancer, so so we still recommend consuming as little of it as you can.
Myth 5. An injury to the breast causes breast cancer.
Doctors assure that there is no link between breast injuries and breast cancer. However, a prior injury can make your doctor schedule a biopsy after a mammogram. This happens because signs of injury can look like cancer on an X-ray. As Dr. Zeidman pointed out in his statement, injuries “can cause changes in the breast that may mimic breast cancer on imaging. This process is called ‘fat necrosis,’ and it can look like an irregular mass with jagged edges on a mammogram, much like the appearance of a new breast cancer.” A biopsy is needed to distinguish between fat necrosis and breast cancer.
Myth 6. Every lump in the breasts is breast cancer.
Doctors are urging everyone to conduct a
self-exam once a month and check for any lumps or masses. If you notice a
persistent lump, schedule a meeting with your physician as soon as you
can. In the vast majority of cases, a breast lump turns out to be
something else, like a swollen lymph node or a cyst, for example, and
not breast cancer. However, it’s still important to get a professional
opinion, and some of these non-cancerous causes need treatment too. Long
story short - when it comes to suspicious lumps, you're better off safe
than sorry.
Myth 7. All types of breast cancer manifest themselves through a lump.
Self-exams are important and helpful, but
not noticing a lump or anything unusual during a self-exam doesn’t mean
you can skip your yearly mammograms. First of all, breast cancer doesn’t
always feel like a lump in the breast. Some advanced breast cancers
that spread to other parts of the body may not be noticeable during a
self-exam.
Second, early-stage breast cancer may not be noticed by simply feeling
with your fingers. This is exactly why mammograms and other screenings
exist - to catch these more dangerous and early-stage cancers as soon as
possible.
Myth 8. Only middle-aged and older women can have breast cancer.
Aging is a known risk factor of breast
cancer: the average breast cancer patient is 61 years old. But the risk
of developing the disease before age 40 is higher than you think. Around
5% of new breast cancer patients are in their 30s, 20s, and even in
their teens. However, most of these early diagnoses are indeed linked to
a family history of breast cancer, which is why those who have a
genetic proclivity towards developing cancer should consider starting
regular screenings at a younger age.
Myth 9. IVF and abortions increase one’s risk of breast cancer.
Estrogen is a sex hormone that controls the
female reproductive system, and doctors know that estrogen plays some
role in breast cancer development too. Both in-vitro fertilization (IVF)
treatments and abortions change the levels of estrogen in the body,
which is why this myth that they increase the risk of breast cancer came
to exist.
There are over 30 years of research suggesting that IVF doesn’t
contribute to breast cancer. Likewise, several large studies came to the
same conclusion regarding abortions, including a massive study in
Denmark that included 1.5 million women. All this evidence suggests that
both procedures do not raise one’s risk of breast cancer.
Myth 10. Men can’t have breast cancer.
The vast majority of breast cancer patients
are female. But make no mistake, men can also have this condition,
especially those with a family history of breast cancer. In 2017, for
example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded
2,300 new male breast cancer cases, including 500 deaths, in the United
States alone.
Since many men are unaware that they can get breast cancer and often get
diagnosed much later than women, the mortality rate of male breast
cancer is higher than that of women. For this reason, self-examinations
are equally important for both men and women. Make sure to point out any
pain or lumps in the chest area to your doctor’s attention, no matter
your physiological sex.