The Truth About Eight Common Breast Cancer Myths, Part II
Breast cancer myths abound in our society. In this article, the second half of a two-parter, we offer straight talk about four common myths.
Cutting through the haze of breast cancer myths to get to the truth is difficult, because there are dozens -- if not hundreds -- of mis perceptions, half-truths, folk tales, and outright lies clouding the issue. In Part I of this article, we examined four such myths; here's the truth about four more.
Myth 5: There's a cure for breast cancer now.
Not quite. In 1998, the FDA approved an anti-estrogen drug called Tamoxifen that proves effective against some forms of breast cancer. It can also decrease the risk of breast cancer in some women.
However, considering Tamoxifen a cure would be just another breast cancer myth. At this point, the causes of breast cancer are not completely understood, so it's neither curable nor completely preventable. In any case, Tamoxifen does not work against all forms of breast cancer.
Myth 6: Breast cancer is contagious.
This is a myth, pure and simple. While some cancers may be caused by microbes (the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical cancer, is a prime example), breast cancer is not one of them. It can't be spread through the air, or by drinking from the same glass as someone else, or by sexual contact.
Myth 7: Drinking coffee, wearing a bra, or using antiperspirant increases your risk of getting breast cancer.
There's a whole category of breast cancer myths that blame common environmental factors for causing the disease. The one thing that they all have in common is that they're based on bad science that purports to link a particular item to increased cancer risk, without taking all other factors into account.
Factors such as high-fat diets, obesity, age, not having children, and family history are proven to contribute to the risk of breast cancer; using antiperspirants, wearing bras, and drinking coffee are not. Indeed, there's some evidence that coffee-drinking can decrease your risk of breast cancer.
Myth 8: All breast lumps are cancerous.
As breast cancer myths go, this is a rather benign one, since at least it gets you to sit up and take notice of any changes in your breasts. You should always be concerned about a breast lump, but don't let the worry overwhelm you; there's an 80% chance that the lump is benign.
That said, the rate of malignancy goes up as your age increases. If you find a lump, report it to your doctor as soon as possible, and let them examine it to be sure. A biopsy (the removal and examination of a sample of the lump) may be required.
In Conclusion
The fearsome issue of breast cancer has developed a substantial mythology that often obscures the facts. Therefore, do your homework before you get too worried, because what you've heard -- no matter how earnestly repeated -- may be myth. The breast cancer myths we've covered here are just a few of the common ones; there are plenty more, and we may be back with an update soon.
