The Truth about Eight Common Breast Cancer Myths, Part I
Breast cancer is one of the most common and insidious diseases affecting our society. Don't let these breast cancer myths keep you from fighting the good fight.
If you're having trouble separating breast cancer myths from the facts, it's no wonder: there seem to be hundreds of myths, and precious little fact. Here's the bare truth: statistically, a woman has a one in eight chance of contracting breast cancer during her lifetime. As things stand, about one in 35 women will die of it.
That's scary enough to handle, without having to face a bewildering welter of half-truths and outright misinformation. In this two-parter, we'll discuss eight common myths about breast cancer, and offer the facts about each one.
Myth 1: A diagnosis of breast cancer is a death sentence.
Not anymore, so don't let this breast cancer myth defeat you before you even get started. Aggressive treatment can cure most cases of breast cancer, especially if it's caught early through the use of mammograms and regular breast self-examinations.
Even in those cases in which the cancer is not curable, current drug, radiation, and surgery-based treatments can usually add at least 3-5 disease-free years to a cancer patient's lifespan. The death rate has dropped steadily by about 2 percent a year recently, and is 20% less than it was in 1990.
Myth 2: Only older women get breast cancer.
Don't gamble your life on this breast cancer myth. While your chances of getting breast cancer increase significantly with age, young women can and do get it. In fact, the cancer tends to be more aggressive in young women, resulting in a lower survival rate.
No matter how young you are, you should perform breast self-examinations on a monthly basis, and learn to be keenly aware of how your breasts look and feel. Breast cancer is one of the easiest cancers to diagnose, and if caught early can often be successfully treated.
Myth 3: I don't need to worry about breast cancer because it doesn't run in my family.
Although widely believed, this item is also a breast cancer myth. While a family history of breast cancer does increase the risk of developing the disease, it's not the deciding factor. Less than 10% of breast cancers cases are thought to have genetic causes.
The most important factors contributing to breast cancer risk include obesity, high-fat diets, age, non-genetic family history, early-onset menstruation, and not having children. Sadly, 80% of breast cancer cases have no identifiable risk factors at all.
Myth 4: Men don't get breast cancer.
This is probably the most common of all breast cancer myths, but it just isn't true. While breast cancer much rarer in men than in women, about 2,000 cases are diagnosed every year in the United States. More than one-quarter of men diagnosed with breast cancer die of the disease.
Men at risk of developing breast cancer include those over age 60; those with female relatives who have had breast cancer; those with a history of radiation exposure in the chest area; those with the genetic condition called Klinefelter's Syndrome; and those with kidney disease.
Gentlemen, if you discover a breast lump or abnormality, have a doctor check it out immediately. Don't let this breast cancer myth cut your life short!
