BREAST CANCER MYTHS
October is celebrated annually as Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. One in every eight women is said to become diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime; but while you cannot usually prevent cancer, it is important to be proactive about your health.
The following are some usual misconception of breast cancer.
➢ A lump in the breast means its breast cancer - only a small percentage of breast lumps turn out to be cancer. However if it is that you discover a persistent lump in your breast that may be new or you have observed any changes in the breast tissue, it should be checked out.
➢ Breast cancer affects only women - each year it is estimated that approximately 2,190 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 410 will die.
➢ A mammogram can increase the spread of breast cancer - A mammogram currently remains the gold standard for the early detection of breast cancer.
➢ You are likely to develop breast cancer if there is a family history - while women who have a family history of breast cancer are at a higher risk; most women who usually develop breast cancer have no family history. Statistically only about 10% of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of this disease.
➢ Breast cancer is contagious - breast cancer cannot be “catch” or transferred. Breast cancer is the result of uncontrolled cell growth of mutated cells that begin to spread into other tissues within the breast.
➢ Antiperspirants and deodorants contribute to breast cancer - researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer.
➢ You will definitely develop breast cancer if you have the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene - according to the National Cancer Institute, regarding families who are known to carry BRCA1 or BRCA2, “not every woman in such families carries a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, and not every cancer in such families is linked to a harmful mutation in one of these genes. Furthermore, not every woman who has a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer. But, a woman who has inherited a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 is about five times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman who does not have such a mutation.”
Written by Kiwanian Stacey- Ann McNeil
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