Top 10 breast cancer myths and truths

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease.

While most people are aware of breast cancer, many  have a vague idea and rely on myths told by friends or family as their source of information. These myths are often untrue and experts have compiled a list of the myths along with the actual truth to help improve society’s understanding of this type of cancer.

1.Myth: “Breast cancer is one disease.” 

Truth: There are different types of breast cancer, each with its own cause and behaviour, says Sara Hurvitz, MD, Director of the Hematology/Oncology Breast Cancer Program at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. As types become better understood, treatments will likely become more specific, targeting each type of cancer.

2. Myth: “Any lump is breast cancer.”

Truth: “Normal breast tissue is lumpy,” says Sharon Rosenbaum-Smith, MD, professor of Surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital and a breast surgeon at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. “And there are lesions such as cysts, solid masses called fibroadenomas and fatty tumors called ”

3. Myth: “Breast cancer treatments are limited.”

Truth: A range of treatments—surgery, radiation, and targeted therapies exist for cancer in stages 1 to 3, says Hurvitz. Because of those and earlier diagnosis through mammography, the five-year survival rate has risen to more than 90 percent. Therapies in development may eventually offer more hope for those with end-stage breast cancer.

4. Myth: “Men cannot get breast cancer.”

Truth: “One percent of breast cancer happens in men,” says Rosenbaum-Smith. “So men who notice a mass, redness, or a change in their nipples, should see a doctor.”

5. Myth: “Breast cancer affects only older women.”

Truth: About 20 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are under 50, and 50 percent are under age 65, says Hurvitz: “Women of all ages should be aware of changes such as a lump, skin thickening, reddening, persistent pain, or breast enlargement.”

6. Myth: “If a family member gets breast cancer, so will you.”

Truth: Most breast cancers are not hereditary, says Hurvitz: “Only ten percent occur because of a gene mutation.”

7. Myth: “If you have the gene mutation BRCA 1 or 2, you will get breast cancer.”

Truth: Having either gene—or both– increase your lifetime risk of breast or ovarian cancer up to 80 percent, but does not make breast cancer a certainty, says Rosenbaum-Smith.

8. Myth: “Breast cancer is limited to the breast.”

Truth: Cancer cells may escape to other parts of the body, says Hurvitz: “That’s why we recommend chemotherapy, anti-estrogen therapy and/or targeted therapy even in early stage breast cancer to reach those microscopic cancer cells.”

9. Myth: “Women no longer need mammograms.”

Truth: “Mammograms remain the gold standard of breast cancer screening,” says Rosenbaum-Smith. Women should continue to get mammograms annually, starting at age 40. “However, mammograms only detect 90 percent of all breast cancers,” she continues, “which is why if a health provider sees something on a mammogram, she will follow up with a physical exam, ultrasound, or biopsy.”

10. Myth: “You can’t get breast cancer after a mastectomy.”

Truth: “You have a one to three percent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer after a mastectomy,” says Rosenbaum-Smith. “So, you still need to have follow-up appointments with your breast surgeon.”

This article originally appeared as 10 Breast Cancer Myths & Truths on Spry Living