10 common myths about Breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women. Around one in ten has a lifetime risk of getting it with majority diagnosed above 50. The rise of incidence in an advanced society can be attributed to lifestyle changes including reproductive behavior, weight gain, alcohol consumption and widely use of hormone replacement therapy.


Differentiating the myths from the facts about breast cancer may help to save your life. Below are some common myths about breast cancer.

1. Breast cancer only affects older women.

No. While it is true that the risk of breast cancer increases as women grow older, breast cancer can occur at any age.

-  From birth to age 39, 1 woman in 231 will get breast cancer (<0.5% risk);

-  From age 40–59, the risk is 1 in 25 (4% risk);

-  From age 60–79, the risk is 1 in 15 (about 7%).

-  Assuming you live to age 90, the risk of getting breast cancer over the course of an entire lifetime is 1 in 7, with an overall lifetime risk of 14.3%.

2. If you have an inherited risk factor for breast cancer, you are likely to get the disease.

No. Not a certainty, even if you have one of the stronger risk factors, such as a breast cancer gene abnormality. Amongst women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 inherited genetic abnormality

-  40–80% will develop breast cancer over their lifetime;

-  20–60% do not.

A history of breast cancer in either one of your parents' family assigns equal risk given the fact that half of your genes come from your mother and half from your father. However, a man with a breast cancer gene abnormality is less likely to develop breast cancer than a woman with a similar gene. So, to track your father's family history, you have to look mainly at the women on your father's side, more than the men.

All other risk factors are associated with a much lower probability of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

3. If breast cancer does not run in your family, you would not get it.

No. Some risk of breast cancer is present in all women.

About 80% of women who get breast cancer have no known family history of the disease, mainly attributed to aging with varying risks and lifestyle. 

4. Breast cancer risk is directly related to the size of the breast.

Breast size is unrelated to breast cancer risk. Even men can get breast cancer, although it is very rare. So size does not matter!

5. Using anti-perspirants causes breast cancer.

No. There is no evidence that the active ingredient in anti-perspirants, or reducing perspiration from the underarm area, influences breast cancer risk. The supposed link between breast cancer and anti-perspirants is based on misinformation about anatomy and a misunderstanding of breast cancer.

6. Birth control pills cause breast cancer.

No. Modern day birth control pills contain a low dose of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Many research studies show no association between birth control pills and an increased risk of breast cancer. However, one study that combined the results of many different studies did show an association between birth control pills and a very small increase in risk. The study also showed that this slight increase in risk decreased over time. So after 10 years, birth control pills were not associated with an increase in risk.

Besides birth control pills are reported to have benefits like:

• decreasing ovarian and endometrial cancer risk
• relieving menstrual disorders, pelvic inflammatory disease, and ovarian and cysts
• improving bone mineral density

Weigh the risks and benefits to decide if you should take this pill.

7. Eating high-fat foods causes breast cancer.

No. Several large studies have not been able to demonstrate a clear connection between eating high-fat foods and a higher risk of breast cancer. A distinct correlation is extra fat increases the production of estrogen outside the ovaries and adds to the overall level of estrogen in the body and thus risk of breast cancer. If you are already overweight, or have a tendency to gain weight easily, avoiding high-fat foods is a good idea.

For instance, whole milk dairy products contain high saturated fats. Studies have observed a 19% increased risk of breast cancer with greater intake of saturated fats. Thus, choosing low fat dairy products with lower saturated fat would be a better option.

8. A monthly breast self-exam is the best way to diagnose breast cancer.

No. Digital mammography or high quality film-screen mammography is the most reliable way to detect lesions as small as 0.5 cm (0.2 inches) as compared to lumps that can only be felt at least 1 cm (0.4 inches) in size yourself.

However, mammography may not work if the normal breast tissue is denser and hide small breast cancer. Certain types of cancer are also not readily seen on mammogram. In certain cases, an ultrasound or MRI scan may be required.

As majority of cancerous breast lumps are painless, especially in the early stages, frequent self-examination is necessary and never ignore any breast lump, no matter how small or painless because early diagnosis and treatment results in the best outcome.

The best time to self-examine is at the end of each menstrual period. Most breast lumps are not cancerous but cysts only. This is a minor inflammation involving the milk ducts, which become obstructed and produce fluid-filled cysts of various sizes.  The cysts can be removed and never return.

Having said that, this test should not be performed regularly. A new study by researchers from the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Denmark found that mammograms may harm ten women as they help one. Did you know that radiation treatment for one breast actually causes cancer in the OTHER breast?

Statistics showed about 25% of breast cancers are found only on breast examination (not on the mammogram), about 35% are found on mammography alone, and 40% are found by both physical exam and mammography.

9. I'm at high risk for breast cancer and there is nothing I can do about it.

No. There are several effective ways to reduce (not eliminate) the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk. Options include lifestyle changes (eg. minimize alcohol consumption, stop smoking, exercise regularly), medication (tamoxifen, also called Nolvadex); and in cases of very high risk, surgery may be offered (prophylactic mastectomies, and for some women, prophylactic ovary removal). Be sure that you have consulted with a physician or genetic counselor before you make assumptions about your level of risk.

10. A breast cancer diagnosis is an automatic death sentence.

No. Fully 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no signs of metastases (no cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes) and are able to live for at least five years, and much longer.

However, in most late discovery cases, the survival rate is less than 50%.

With advancement in medical technology, promising treatment breakthroughs should be available in the near future. 


Other pointers -
+  Women who have children have a slightly lower risk of breast cancer than women who have not, due to reduced oestrogen exposure.
+  Starting periods at an early age has been linked with a higher risk of breast cancer.
+  A late menopause also raises one's breast cancer risk due to increased period of oestrogen exposure.
+  Women found drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week had increased risk of breast cancer.

What to eat?

+  Seaweed

We should learn from the Japanese who have a low incidence of breast cancer, largely due to their diet of seaweed. Evidence of the health benefits of seaweed was proven by the Harvard School of Public Health which did a study on rats. They found that rats that had been fed kelp (a type of seaweed) had a lower incidence of breast cancer than rats that were not fed kelp. So try eating seaweeds like kelp or nori often, or take blue-green algae such as spirulina (1 heaping teaspoon) and chlorella (about 3 grams) in a glass of juice daily.

+  Reduce Your fat intake

A diet high in animal fat is known to increase the risk of breast cancer. According to experts, a high-fat diet produces chemicals in the intestines that when it comes into contact with bacteria will convert to carcinogenic estrogens. These estrogens will then be stored in the fatty tissue of the breast, making cells in this area more susceptible to cancer growth. By limiting your daily fat intake to about 20% of your overall caloric intake, you're greatly reducing your chances of getting breast cancer.

+  More fiber
 
The fiber contained in food like beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, interrupts the body's metabolism of estrogen and decreases the blood levels of estrogen.
 
A good example is cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, bok choy, kale and cauliflower which contain sulfurous compounds called indoles. Indoles actually help to eliminate estrogen from the body to prevent it from triggering the growth of breast cancer. Only cruciferous vegetables are known to convert estrogen in the body from cancer-promoting forms to forms that actually protect against breast cancer. One such indole, indole-3-carbinol (13C), inhibits the development of potentially cancerous cells in the breast. It is best to eat these vegetables steamed or raw so that you can preserve their cancer fighting nutrients.

+  Omega3 in fish

Research shows that eating at least three servings a week of cold-water fish such as tuna, salmon, halibut, mackerel, haddock, cod, and sardines all helped to prevent breast-cancer. Omega-3 oils that are commonly found in these fish help to strengthen the immune system, and inhibit the effect of tumour-causing products. It is observed that North American Eskimo women who eat a diet extremely rich in omega-3 oils do not develop breast cancer at all. Even breast cancer patients can benefit to experience a reduction of the risk of tumor size.

+  Selenium-rich foods

Most seafood and nuts are loaded with this mineral. Researchers at the American Health Foundation gave the synthetic organo-selenium compounds to rats with high fat diets and found inhibition of tumor incidence. The effects were more pronounced with a low fat diet. There were no toxic effects with either compound.



More info...


Estrogen receptor-positive (ER-positive) breast cancer is the most common type of breast cancer diagnosed today. According to the American Cancer Society, about 2 out of every 3 cases of breast cancer are hormone receptor-positive. Most of these cases are ER-positive, meaning that there are estrogen receptors on the surface of the cell that bind to estrogen.


By having ER-positive breast cancer, cancer cells grow in the presence of the hormone estrogen which occurs naturally in the body. Thus, drugs that interfere with estrogen’s ability to promote cancer cell growth can be used to treat ER-positive breast cancers.



In conclusion...

Up to 98% of breast cancer cases can be prevented through diet, nutritional supplements, sunshine, exercise and avoiding exposure to toxic chemicals in consumer products such as cigarette smoke, chemical solvents, perfume chemicals, household cleaners, pesticides, skin care products and conventional cosmetics.