Misinformation can be dangerous to your health by preventing recognition of breast cancer risks and receiving the best possible care. But by learning the risk factors, you can help prevent breast cancer. To help sort the facts from the fiction, take a look at a few common breast cancer myths.
Myth: Breast cancer only affects older women.
Truth: While it's true that the risk of breast cancer increases as we grow older, breast cancer can occur at any age, especially in our 40s.
Myth: If you have a higher risk factor for breast cancer, you're likely to get the disease.
Truth: Getting breast cancer is not a certainty, even if you have one of the stronger risk factors, like a breast cancer gene abnormality. 40-80 percent of women who have a breast cancer gene will develop breast cancer over their lifetime; 20-60 percent will not develop the disease.
Myth: Only your mother's family history of breast cancer can affect your risk.
Truth: A history of breast cancer in your mother's or your father's family will influence your risk equally. That's because half of your genes come from your mother, half from your father.
Myth: Using antiperspirants causes breast cancer.
Truth: There is no evidence that the active ingredient in antiperspirants, or that reducing perspiration from the underarm area, influences breast cancer risk.
Myth: Birth control pills cause breast cancer.
Truth: Modern day birth control pills contain a low dose of the hormones estrogen and progesterone and have not been proven to cause breast cancer.
Myth: Eating high-fat foods causes breast cancer.
Truth: Several thorough studies have not been able to demonstrate a clear connection between eating high-fat foods and a higher risk of breast cancer. There are many good reasons why reducing a high-fat diet is just good health sense; however, there is no direct link to eating a high-fat diet and breast cancer.
Myth: I'm at high risk for breast cancer and there's nothing I can do about it.
Truth: There are several effective ways to reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk. Some ways are limiting alcohol consumption, quitting smoking and exercising at least four hours a week.
Myth: Surgery opens up the cancer to the air and makes it spread.
Truth: Surgery doesn't cause the cancer to go elsewhere; it was there well before the surgery.
Myth: Mastectomy (removal of entire breast) is safer than lumpectomy (removal only of the lump) with radiation therapy.
Truth: For women who have one site of breast cancer with a small tumor that is removed with clear margins, lumpectomy with radiation is likely to be equally as effective as mastectomy.
For more information, talk to your physician.
Mammograms can be scheduled at Swedish Covenant Hospital within one week. Even if you've had a mammogram before, make sure you're up to date. If your primary care physician is not affiliated with Swedish Covenant Hospital, you can still schedule your mammogram with us. Your results will be faxed to your physician. To schedule your appointment, please call our Call Center at (773) 878-6888.
