Raise Your Breast Cancer IQ

breastcancermyths The Urban Legends of Breast Cancer & The Facts

Myth: If I have large breasts, I’m more likely to develop breast cancer.
Fact: Sounds logical. But in reality there is not enough evidence that size of breast is a risk factor.

Myth: If I breast-feed. I’m protected from getting breast cancer.
Fact: Some studies have suggested that breast feeding reduces breast cancer risk, but we’re not sure why, says Therese Bevers, MD, medical director of the Cancer Prevention Center at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. What doctors are sure about is what happens to a woman’s breasts after she has a full term pregnancy – whether she breast feeds or not.

Myth: Mammograms cause cancer
Fact: Since mammography involves radiation, it is possible that there could be a link. Many doctors say the dose is so low that it’s about as dangerous as sitting in front of the TV. The advantages that mammograms offer of finding small, early breast cancers far outweigh any potential increased risk of getting it.

Myth: Only older women get breast cancer.
Fact: While it’s true that women over the age of 50 are more likely to get breast cancer, they account for about 80% of breast cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute, meaning the remaining 20% of women with breast cancer are younger than 50.