What are the chances of getting breast cancer and the risks involved? Check out the truth behind 5 myths! You will be surprised!
Doctors still do not know what causes breast cancer. But, decades of research have led to a greater understanding of the disease.
Based on the expansion of body knowledge, here are some breast cancer myths that you should question about. See what are the chances of getting breast cancer, what are the risk factors, what is true and what is false about what you’re hearing!
Number 1 myth: Having a large chest is a greater risk.
Truth:
Research has shown that cells in which breast cancer grows are not affected by the amount of tissue or fat a breast contains. In other words, the size of your breasts is not related to the chances of developing breast cancer.
Women over 50 whose breast augmentation is due to being overweight, however, have a cause for concern. Obesity is linked to a long list of cancers, including breast cancer, in women who have gone through menopause.
You may hear: If breast cancer has not appeared in your family, you are likely to be safe.
Truth:
Many women are surprised to know that having no genetic connection to the disease only decreases their chances of developing breast cancer by 5-10 percent. Moreover, the majority of breast cancer cases, including those of women who have a family history of the disease, are not caused by mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes of breast cancer.
Third myth: Use of birth control pills increases the chances of getting breast cancer.
Truth:
Birth control pills contain hormones that are linked to breast cancer. However, today’s pill doses are considerably lower than 20 years ago, when some studies showed a small increase in the risk of developing breast cancer in women who had birth control.
Today, there still researches being conducted about the potential relationship between the pill and the disease, enough recent studies have however shown that there is no measurable connection. Doctors currently do not consider birth control to be a risk factor for breast cancer in most women.
You may have heard: Using deodorant can lead to breast cancer.
Truth:
Lymph nodes, where some breast cancers develop, are located under the armpit. This fact has inspired several rumors about a relationship between armpit products and disease.
Researchers studying these claims, however, have found no evidence. Certain deodorants and antiperspirants (in fact, any beauty product) contain some suspicious ingredients. These ingredients, such as parabens, which have been found in breast cancer tissue, but so far there is no evidence of causality between the ingredients and cancer.
Myth number five: Breast cancer is the disease of an older woman.
Truth:
The fact that most breast cancer cases occur in women over 50 years often eclipses the reality that a total of 25 percent of breast cancer patients are under 50. In fact, doctors recommend that women start breast self-examination monthly by the age of 20. Also, a clinical examination every three years. Most women should start having annual mammograms at age 40, but if there is breast cancer in your family, your doctor may suggest scheduling your first mammogram at age 35 or even 30.
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