More Myths about Cancer

Some of these myths I've written about before, others are new to my list of the fiction about breast cancer. MOST of them are circulated through email.

Here we go with the latest group of rumors about cancer...

1) BRAS cause breast cancer. (This one shows up every 6 months or so). Wearing an underwire bra, or any type of bra 24/7 or a few hours a day or not wearing any bra does NOT cause breast cancer.

2) ANTIPERSPIRANTS cause cancer. (Again, this one gets emailed to me at least once a month) Sweating/perspiring is part of your body's natural functions. Toxins are not released via the armpit (axilla). Using underarm products does NOT cause cancer.

3) SHAMPOO ingredients cause cancer. There is an ingredient in many shampoos, called sodium laureth sulfate, which is also found in household cleaning products. It does NOT cause cancer. The worst case scenario is eye irritation.

4) TAMPONS cause cancer. This one started with a fact, taken out of context. Some tampons contain a trace (really small amount) of dioxin, which is possibly a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). The FDA (Federal Drug Amdministration) conducted studies and decided that the amount of dioxcin in tampons does not pose a health threat. TSS (toxic shock syndrome) which IS linked to tampons is extremely rare. In the early 1980s, there were 500+ cases of TSS; the statistics from the late 1990s show only 5 confirmed cases of TSS related to tampons.

5) BIG BREASTED women have a greater chance of getting breast cancer. WRONG. Breast cancer is an equal opportunity disease. It doesn't matter what size your breasts are. Larger breasted women may have more difficulty examining their breasts, due to size. That's why it is important to have an annual clinical breast exam (by your doctor) and learn to do a proper breast self-exam (BSE) monthly.

6) Breast cancer is CONTAGIOUS. You can NOT "catch" cancer from someone else. The tumor grows from cells within your body that have gone haywire and are not behaving the way they should. You can't get it by touching, kissing or sharing anything with anyone else.

7) Men are IMMUNE from breast cancer. Sadly, men too can get breast cancer. Not as often as women, but about 1500 men in the USA get breast cancer each year. Men have to know how to exam their breasts also.

8) LIVE healthy and you can prevent breast cancer. While avoiding alcohol, not smoking, eating a low fat diet and exercising regularly is good for you, there are no guarantees against breast cancer. MOST women who get breast cancer don't fit into the known risk patterns.

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