There’s a great deal of helpful information out there about breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Unfortunately, there’s also a lot of misinformation. Thankfully, the National Breast Cancer Foundation has cataloged some of the most common myths about this dangerous disease, and we’re sharing them with you here to help separate fact from fiction.
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. If you discover a persistent lump in your breast or notice any changes in breast tissue, however, you should never ignore it. It’s very important to see a physician for a clinical breast exam. They can order additional tests, if needed, to determine if the lump is of concern or not.
Myth: Men don’t get breast cancer.
Truth: Quite the contrary, more than 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and as many as 400 die. Men have a higher mortality rate than women do, primarily because awareness among men is less and they’re less likely to assume a lump is breast cancer, which can cause a delay in seeking treatment. Like women, men should check themselves periodically by doing a breast self-exam and reporting any changes to their physician.
Myth: A mammogram can cause breast cancer to spread.
Truth: A mammogram, or breast x-ray, remains the gold standard for the early detection of breast cancer. Breast compression while getting a mammogram cannot cause cancer to spread. According to the National Cancer Institute, “The benefits of mammography, however, nearly always outweigh the potential harm from the radiation exposure. Mammograms require very small doses of radiation. The risk of harm from this radiation exposure is extremely low.”
Myth: If you have a family history of breast cancer, you’re likely to develop breast cancer.
Truth: While women who have a family history of breast cancer are in a higher risk group, most women who have breast cancer have no family history. Statistically only about 10% of those diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.
Myth: If the gene mutation BRCA1 or BRCA2 is detected in your DNA, you will definitely develop breast cancer.
Truth: According to the National Cancer Institute, “not every woman in families (that are known to carry BRCA1 or BRCA2) carries a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, and not every cancer in these families is linked to a harmful mutation in one of these genes. Furthermore, not every woman who has a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation will develop breast and/or ovarian cancer. But a woman who has inherited a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 is about five times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who does not have such a mutation.”
Myth: Antiperspirants and deodorants cause breast cancer.
Truth: Researchers at the National Cancer Institute are not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer.
With a disease as consequential as breast cancer, it’s important not to just have information, but to have the right information. So talk to your doctor, rely on credible sources and stay up to date.