FACT or FICTION REVISITED

11. Underwire bras cause breast cancer. FALSE. No garment causes cancer. Not wearing a bra doesn't cause cancer either. Sagging breasts are based on your size, weight, shape and muscle tone. Nothing you do will give you breast cancer.

12. Breast cancer is contagious. FALSE. Breast cancer develops internally and can not be given to anyone else.

13. You can only inherit the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations from your mother. FALSE. You receive half of your genes from each parent. A history of breast, or any type of cancer, on either your father or mother's side of the family should be mentioned to your doctor.

14. More Caucasian women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually than any other ethnic group. TRUE. The American Cancer Society figures show that approximately 113 white women per 100,000 are diagnosed yearly, while American Indians have the lowest incidence rate at 34 per 100,000 women. African American women have the highest death rate at 31 per 100,000, while Asians and Pacific Islanders have a combined death rate of 11 per 100,000. (These figures are taken from the ACS Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 1999-2000.) Many researchers are trying to address these discrepancies. Socio-economic status, insurance coverage, cultural beliefs, stage at diagnosis, access to treatment, environment, lifestyle and diet are being studied.

15. Breast cancer is the #1 killer of women. FALSE. Heart disease accounts for more fatalities.

16. Coffee causes breast cancer. FALSE. Too much caffeine in your diet might not be prudent, but it has no direct relation to a diagnosis of breast cancer. Researchers are still looking for links to many factors in our lives to breast cancer.

17. The shower is the best place to do your breast self-exam. FALSE. Although reminder shower cards are distributed to many women, even these cards suggest several positions for your BSE - lying down, standing erect in front of the mirror. The shower might be the easiest place to do it, but it is not recognized by all as the best place. There is nothing detrimental about doing your exam in the shower, but some experts feel that the wet, slippery surface could inhibit your detection of any lumps. It is advised to do a BSE monthly, regardless of where you decide to do it!

18. A serious injury to your breast can cause cancer. FALSE. Getting hit in the chest, or the trauma inflicted in a car accident or a fall might be painful and cause serious damage to your body, but it will not cause cancer.

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