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Common Breast Cancer Myths

TM busts some breast cancer myths.

Breast cancer awareness is on an all time high, but with it exists a parallel world of myths and misconceptions. False rumors about breast cancer are becoming more and more frequent and new breast cancer myths are born every day. The purpose of this segment is to dispel fallacies about what causes breast cancer, how the disease develops, and the effects of different treatment options. 

Sort fact from fiction by reading the truth about these common breast cancer misconceptions.

Myth: Only women get breast cancer

Fact: That’s right! Though breast cancer occurs less frequently in men, they face the same health risks as women. In addition, men may have added stress in dealing with the diagnosis if they believe that breast cancer is an exclusively female domain.

Myth: Small breasted women cannot get breast cancer

Fact: Sorry girls, but the amount of breast tissue a woman has does not affect her risk of developing breast cancer. So whether you are size A, B or C, size is certainly not a significant risk factor for breast cancer.

Myth: If you get breast cancer you're going to die 

Fact: Wrong! Most women who are diagnosed with cancer do not die from the disease. Breast cancer is highly curable for women who are diagnosed early. A breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. 

Myth: If you have breast cancer, you will lose your breast

Fact: Curing cancer now involves breast-conserving treatment which is recommended to mastectomy (removing the breast) for most early stage breast cancer patients. The procedure includes a lumpectomy (removal of the lump) and an auxiliary dissection (read removal of the underarm lymph nodes), followed by a course of radiation therapy.

Myth: Breast cancer is contagious 

Fact: This has to be the silliest myth doing the rounds! Cancer is not a communicable disease. Breast cancer is defined as an abnormal increase in breast cells, resulting in a malignant (cancerous) tumor of the breast tissue. Changes in one woman’s cells cannot affect the cells of another woman. 

Myth: Breast cancer can be caused by injuring the breast 

Fact: Injury or trauma to the breast does not cause breast cancer and there is no evidence that a knock or bump to the breast increases the risk of breast cancer. However, the breast may become bruised or develop a benign (non-cancerous) lump as the result of an injury. Fat necrosis is a rare benign breast condition that occurs when fatty breast tissue swells or becomes tender. When the body attempts to repair the damaged breast tissue, the affected area may sometimes be replaced with firm scar tissue. Fat necrosis may be mistaken as cancer on mammogram; however symptoms of fat necrosis usually subside within a month. 

Myth: Only people with a family history of breast cancer are at risk

Fact: While a family history of breast cancer can mean that a woman is at higher than average risk of developing breast cancer, research indicates more than 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors for the disease. 

So even if you don’t have family history of this cancer, it still pays to get regular check ups done.

Myth: Older women are less likely to get breast cancer 

Fact: In fact the opposite is true! As a woman’s age increases, her risk of getting breast cancer also goes up. It’s a common consensus that age is one of the strongest risk factors for developing breast cancer. 

To help detect breast cancer early, women forty years of age and older should get regular mammograms in addition to a yearly clinical breast examinations and monthly breast self-examinations. Women between the ages of 20 and 40 should also practice monthly breast self-exams and receive physician performed clinical breast exams at least every three years. 

Myth: All breast lumps are cancerous

Fact: 80% of lumps are caused by benign/non-cancerous changes in the breast. This percentage tends to fluctuate with age. For young women, more than 80% of breast lumps are benign. As a woman ages, her risk for breast cancer also increases. The percentage of benign breast lumps in older women may be much lower than in younger women. 

It is still important for women to report any breast abnormality to their physician, especially if it persists after two or more menstrual cycles.

Myth: A woman with lumpy breasts is at high risk of developing breast cancer

Fact: In the past, women with lumpy breasts were believed to be at higher risk for breast cancer. However, this myth has recently been dispelled. Women with lumpy breasts often suffer from a benign/non-cancerous condition called fibrocystic change. Symptoms of fibrocystic change in the breast include cysts, fibrosis, lumpiness, areas of thickening, tenderness, or breast pain. 

Myth: If a breast lump is painful, then it is not cancerous

Fact: Up to 10% of breast cancers are associated with pain. However, pain is very rarely the only evidence of a breast tumor. Pain may accompany a breast lump. If a patient has breast pain but physical exams and mammography do not reveal an abnormality, most physicians will not pursue further breast imaging because the likelihood of breast cancer is very small. Breast pain is the third most common non-cancerous breast complaint, and may be caused by a variety of conditions. 

Myth: Breast Cancer Always Presents Itself in the Form of a Lump

Fact: While a breast lump can certainly be a sign of breast cancer (as well as a number of non-cancerous conditions), not all women who are diagnosed with breast cancer will have a noticeable lump. Therefore, women should check for the following warning signs while performing monthly breast self-exams:

• Any new lump or hard knot found in the breast or armpit
•  Any lump or thickening that does not shrink or lessen after your next period
• Any change in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast
•  A thickening or swelling of the breast
•  Any dimpling, puckering or indention in the breast
•  Dimpling, skin irritation or other change in the breast skin or nipple
•  Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
•  Nipple discharge (fluid coming from your nipples other than breast milk), particularly if the discharge is bloody, clear and sticky, dark or occurs without squeezing your nipple
•  Nipple tenderness or pain
• Nipple retraction: turning or drawing inward or pointing in a new direction
• Any breast change that may be cause for concern

While one or more of these changes warrants clinical examination, these changes do not mean that a woman has breast cancer. 

Myth: Fibrocystic change increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer

Fact: Fibrocystic change is a benign/non-cancerous breast condition and does not increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. This myth came to being because in some instances, fibrocystic change can make breast cancer more difficult to detect with mammography. This is because the breast density associated with fibrocystic breasts may eclipse breast cancer on a mammogram film. Therefore, it is important that breast self-exams and clinical breast exams also be preformed. In some cases, women with fibrocystic breasts may need additional breast imaging, such as ultrasound, if cancer is suspected but not detectable with mammography.

Myth: Drinking coffee increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer

Fact: Coffee does not cause breast cancer, this myth have its basis on the fact that some women find that reducing their caffeine intake by avoiding coffee, tea, chocolate, and soft drinks decreases water retention and breast discomfort. 

Myth: Antiperspirants/deodorant are a leading cause of breast cancer

Fact: Antiperspirants or antiperspirant/deodorant combinations do not cause breast cancer. A false rumor has been broadly circulated claiming that antiperspirants prevent the body from purging dangerous toxins. The message reports that because antiperspirants actually work to stop underarm perspiration (as opposed to regular deodorants that merely provide fragrance), certain toxins become trapped inside the body. These toxins, according to the rumor, are deposited in the lymph nodes below the arms, leading to cell mutations and the development of breast cancer. This link between antiperspirants and breast cancer is completely inaccurate. The body does not, in fact, need to purge toxins from the armpits in the form of perspiration. There are no toxins to purge; sweat is made up of a combination of 99.9% water, sodium, potassium and magnesium. 

Myth: Underwire bras cause breast cancer

Fact: A book published a few years ago called Dressed to Kill suggested that underwire bras can constrict the body’s lymph node system, causing breast cancer. The authors of the book attributed the high rate of breast cancer in North America (compared to less industrialized countries in the world) to the fact that most North American women wear bras. This link between underwire bras and breast cancer is completely inaccurate. The authors of Dressed to Kill did not take into account any other genetic, environmental, or social factors that could contribute to breast cancer risk (such as age, family history, high fat diet, obesity, not having children, etc.)

Myth: Oral contraceptive pills/birth control pills cause breast cancer

Fact: Birth control pills do not cause breast cancer, even after prolonged use. Though oral contraceptives do contain small amounts of estrogen and progesterone, the amount of these hormones is too small to pose a noteworthy risk. Today, most women are prescribed "low-dose" formulas which contain less than 50 micrograms of estrogen. Still, women believed to be at high risk for breast cancer should discuss any concerns about oral contraceptives with their physicians. 

Myth: Breast-Feeding Causes Breast Cancer

Fact: Breast-feeding does not cause breast cancer. In fact, some preliminary studies reveal that breast-feeding may decrease a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Women who breast-feed may get breast cancer, but they are not at any increased risk compared to women who do not breast-feed.

Myth: Nipple Discharge Indicates Breast Cancer.

Fact: Most nipple discharges do not indicate a cancerous condition. Up to 20% of women may experience spontaneous milky, opalescent, or clear fluid nipple discharge. Up to 60% of women experience nipple discharge during breast self-examination. Usually, if the discharge is clear, milky, yellow, or green, it does not indicate cancer. Bloody or watery nipple discharge is considered abnormal; however, only 10% of abnormal discharges are cancerous. Nipple discharge may be a concern if it is:

•  bloody or watery (serous) with a red, pink, or brown color 
• sticky and clear in color or brown to black in color (opalescent) 
   appears spontaneously without squeezing the nipple 
• persistent 
•  on one side only (unilateral) 
•  a fluid other than breast milk 

Myth: A mammogram prevents breast cancer

Fact: An x-ray of the breast is called a mammogram. A mammogram cannot prevent breast cancer; however mammography is an excellent tool to screen for and detect the disease at an early stage. 

Myth: A mammogram causes breast cancer

Fact: It's just the opposite! Early detection is the key to beating breast cancer and getting an annual mammogram allows your doctor to find a lump when its smaller and better treatment options exist. A mammogram can detect a tumor as tiny as a pinhead—which is up to two years before you or your physician can feel it! A mammogram is a safe procedure that uses extremely low levels of radiation to create detailed images of the breast. 

Myth: Mammography always finds cancer when it is curable

Fact: Mammography is the most accurate screening tool for breast cancer. While annual screening mammograms will detect the vast majority of breast cancers, some cancers are extremely aggressive and can spread to other areas of the body before they are detected by mammogram. In general, breast cancer has a slow rate of growth. It may take six to eight years for a breast cancer developing from one cell to grow to the size of one centimeter. This long growth period allows ample time for aggressive cancers to spread into blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and beyond the breast. 

Again, to help detect breast cancer early, when the chances for survival are the greatest, regular testing should be practiced as described above.

Myth: The Best Place to Practice Breast Self-Examination is in the Shower 

Fact: Breast self examination can be performed while in the shower. However, wet, soapy hands may make it difficult for a woman to feel the intricacies of her breast. Cold air or water also causes the breasts and nipples to contract. Women over twenty years of age should practice monthly BSE in three positions: lying down, standing up, and standing in front of the mirror (to check for visual breast changes).

Myth: Mastectomy ensures breast cancer will be eliminated forever 

Fact: Mastectomy (removal of the affected breast) does not guarantee that breast cancer will not recur. Some women experience breast cancer recurrence at the site of the mastectomy scar. There is also that possibility that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other areas of the body. 

Myth: Chemotherapy will make you bald

Fact: Although traumatic, the loss of hair (alopecia) is only one of the temporary side effects of chemotherapy. Hair loss and other side effects of chemotherapy depend on the types of drugs administered, their dosage, and the length of treatment. Some women experience few if any adverse effects from drug treatment. For women who experience alopecia, hair loss usually begins about three weeks after chemotherapy has begun. In most all cases, the hair will re-grow after chemotherapy has ended. 

Myth: Women who have had breast cancer in the past should not become pregnant

Fact: Studies show that the hormonal and metabolic changes that occur during pregnancy do not typically pose any significant risk of recurring breast cancer. Additionally, neither the number of pregnancies nor the time lapsed between treatment for breast cancer and pregnancy appear to have any noticeable effect on long-term breast cancer prognosis. Breast cancer survivors who are thinking of becoming pregnant should discuss their medical situation with their physician

Myth: breast cancer is preventable 

Fact: There is no known prevention for breast cancer. Early detection followed by prompt treatment offers you the best successful chance against the disease. 

Bottom line, ignorance may be bliss in some matters, but not when it comes to breast cancer. Misinformation about the disease and its causes can keep you from taking steps to reduce risk and in the process not being able to catch the disease early. Take charge of your own health by carrying out monthly self-exams, regular visits to the doctor, and regularly scheduled mammograms. Be breast cancer savvy! 

Note: The contents of this web site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be used for medical advice.