Myth: All breast lumps are cancerous.
Fact: 8 out of 10 breast lumps are benign (not cancerous).
Myth: Only women get breast cancer.
Fact: The annual estimate for men who will be diagnosed with breast cancer is 2,140, and the number of men who will die from it is 450.
Myth: Mammograms cause breast cancer to spread.
Fact: Neither the radiation nor the pressure placed on the breast from the mammogram can cause breast cancer to spread.
Myth: If no one in your family has had breast cancer, you won't get it.
Fact: Only 15 to 20 percent of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.
Myth: Your genetic risk of getting breast cancer comes only from your mother's side of the family.
Fact: Half of your genes come from your mother and half from your father. Therefore both sides of your family influence your risk equally.
Myth: Eating high-fat foods causes breast cancer.
Fact: Fatty foods contribute to excess body weight, which is the risk factor. Excess body weight increases estrogen production and adds to the overall level of estrogen in the body, and estrogen stimulates the proliferation of both normal breast cells and cells with cancer-producing DNA mutations.
Myth: A mutation in your BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene means you will get breast cancer.
Fact: Although changes in these genes predispose men and women to an increased risk of breast cancer, only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancer patients have the mutation.
Myth: Only "old" women get breast cancer.
Fact: 25 percent of women with breast cancer are younger than 50.
Myth: Breast cancer is a death sentence.
Fact: Up to 98 percent of women survive at least five years when their cancer is caught early, and 85 to 90 percent survive at least 10 years.
Myth: If your mammogram is clear, you definitely don't have breast cancer.
Fact: Mammography catches most breast cancers but not all. In addition to mammography, women should have their breasts examined annually by their health care provider and perform monthly self-exams.
Myth: Lumps are painless.
Fact: Cancerous breast lumps are usually painless, but not always
Myth: There's nothing you can do to prevent getting breast cancer.
Fact: Research summarized by MayoClinic.com indicates you can definitely minimize your risk of getting breast cancer by: maintaining a healthy weight; avoiding alcohol or limiting its use to less than one drink per day; getting regular exercise; minimizing the duration of hormone therapy; and limiting your use of pesticides and antibiotics.
Sources: National Breast Cancer Foundation, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Prevention.com, Breastcancer.org and MayoClinic.com.
Fact: 8 out of 10 breast lumps are benign (not cancerous).
Fact: The annual estimate for men who will be diagnosed with breast cancer is 2,140, and the number of men who will die from it is 450.
Myth: Mammograms cause breast cancer to spread.
Fact: Neither the radiation nor the pressure placed on the breast from the mammogram can cause breast cancer to spread.
Myth: If no one in your family has had breast cancer, you won't get it.
Fact: Only 15 to 20 percent of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.
Myth: Your genetic risk of getting breast cancer comes only from your mother's side of the family.
Fact: Half of your genes come from your mother and half from your father. Therefore both sides of your family influence your risk equally.
Myth: Eating high-fat foods causes breast cancer.
Fact: Fatty foods contribute to excess body weight, which is the risk factor. Excess body weight increases estrogen production and adds to the overall level of estrogen in the body, and estrogen stimulates the proliferation of both normal breast cells and cells with cancer-producing DNA mutations.
Myth: A mutation in your BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene means you will get breast cancer.
Fact: Although changes in these genes predispose men and women to an increased risk of breast cancer, only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancer patients have the mutation.
Myth: Only "old" women get breast cancer.
Fact: 25 percent of women with breast cancer are younger than 50.
Myth: Breast cancer is a death sentence.
Fact: Up to 98 percent of women survive at least five years when their cancer is caught early, and 85 to 90 percent survive at least 10 years.
Myth: If your mammogram is clear, you definitely don't have breast cancer.
Fact: Mammography catches most breast cancers but not all. In addition to mammography, women should have their breasts examined annually by their health care provider and perform monthly self-exams.
Myth: Lumps are painless.
Fact: Cancerous breast lumps are usually painless, but not always
Myth: There's nothing you can do to prevent getting breast cancer.
Fact: Research summarized by MayoClinic.com indicates you can definitely minimize your risk of getting breast cancer by: maintaining a healthy weight; avoiding alcohol or limiting its use to less than one drink per day; getting regular exercise; minimizing the duration of hormone therapy; and limiting your use of pesticides and antibiotics.
Sources: National Breast Cancer Foundation, the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Prevention.com, Breastcancer.org and MayoClinic.com.
