1. The cause of breast cancer is a genetic malfunction
Fact: in only half the cases, doctors blame defective genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2). The risk of getting cancer is higher (and no more!) If one of the maternal relatives before the age of 60 has experienced this disease. But most women get registered with a doctor, as a rule, not because of a specific gene mutation, but rather because of a combination of lifestyle factors and heredity. Scientists still have no idea what causes breast cancer. So far only 2/3 of the tumors are known to be hormone-dependent, and in women under 40 they progress very quickly. But this information is not enough. One of the best ways to find out what's the reason, compare healthy ladies to those who faced this disease face to face. These studies are currently being carried out in many countries, and millions of women all over the world hope for them.
2. Rak always evolves from seals
Fact: 10% of women who had a severe diagnosis did not have a hardening, pain or other signs indicating a problem with the breast. And among 80-85% of those who came to the reception with seals, they posed no threat to life and health. Often these were cysts or benign formations, the so-called fibroadenomas. But this does not mean that you can ignore the pain, redness, swelling of any size. It is necessary to address to the doctor necessarily, simply not to panic ahead of time. Especially if you: sealed and I'm in the chest, near it or at hand; pain, burning sensation; changes in size and form; discharge from the nipples.
3. Women with small breasts are insured against illness
Fact: size does not matter. Breast cancer develops in the glandular tissue and cells lining the milk ducts (where milk is produced and enters the nipple). And regardless of whether she wears underwear sizes A, B, C, the number of lobules inside which the milk ducts are located, all the same. The large and small breasts differ only in the volume of adipose tissue, which, according to studies, has little effect on the appearance of the disease. Conclusion: absolutely all women older than 40 years should regularly undergo examination by a doctor. No exceptions about the size, nationality, type of skin can not be.
4. Often doing a mammogram is harmful. Doctors recommend that women over 40 should undergo a mammogram once a year. You do not have to worry: the radiation doses are carefully regulated and in fact very low - they are equivalent to one flight on an airplane or to the amount that on average comes from natural sources for 3 months. In general, we were more fortunate than our moms and grandmothers. Today, women receive 50 times less radiation than 20 years ago. And the chances of acquiring serious health problems are almost equal to zero. Another thing is that the method of examination should appoint a doctor. Up to 35 years in the chest a lot of glandular tissue and a mammogram is difficult to read. But ultrasound, on the contrary, allows us to detect even the slightest violations of benign and malignant nature. After 40 years, the glandular tissue is replaced by fat and the mammogram comes to the fore (ultrasound becomes auxiliary). In any case, only the doctor must decide on the survey. Doing a mammogram at 25 years for reinsurance is not worth it.
5. Birth control pills - one of the disease provokers
Fact: doctors say that the research data are not so convincing that they advised their patients to refuse contraceptives. Scientists seriously took up the pill in the mid-90's and at the same time found that the pills slightly increased the risk of breast cancer. But you can not rely on this information, because these preparations have changed a lot. At a minimum, they contain significantly lower doses of hormones. But a few things to consider still worth it. First, the pills should be prescribed by the doctor, taking into account the age and health status. Go to the pharmacy and buy what the seller advises, or take contraceptives, following the example of friends - it is unreasonable. Contraceptives change the hormonal background, and these are not such harmless things. Secondly, you must strictly adhere to the regime of admission: 9 months of drinking, 3 months of rest, so that the body has time to recover and bring the hormones in order. Doctors sometimes forget to tell their patients about it.
6. Young girls do not suffer from breast cancer
Fact: despite the fact that the disease does occur very rarely before the age of 30, there is no guarantee that it will not affect your breasts at a young age. In order not to miss the moment, listen to yourself, do not ignore suspicious symptoms and feel your chest once a month from the age of 20. And after 30 regularly visit the doctor and if he finds it necessary, do ultrasound of the mammary glands. If in your family there were cases of cancer, it makes sense to add more sensitive methods of examination (most likely there is a mutation of specific genes). For example, magnetic resonance imaging with contrast (MRT). Then the doctor will have the opportunity to carefully study the situation and make a more accurate diagnosis (ultrasound "sees" the seals after 1 cm).
7. Antiperspirants are implicated in the appearance of a tumor
Fact: all that they are capable of - to clog pores and provoke inflammation of the duct. With regard to cancer, this misconception is based on the fact that deodorants do not allow sweating, and the toxins that should have come to the surface with sweat remain in the body, provoking the development of malignant tumors. The rumor was so popular that in 2002, scientists organized a special investigation. AND? There was no connection between antiperspirants and breast cancer. Many fear not toxins, but certain chemicals in the deodorants (aluminum salts, parabens), believing that they are the culprits of all ills. Arguments? In developing countries, where women do not use antiperspirants, the incidence rate is lower. However, toxins do not always go away with sweat. And in the US, where deodorants are not so popular, the rating of breast cancer is higher than, for example, in Europe. In 2004, researchers found parabens in the tissues of a malignant breast tumor. But they could not prove that they, or any other chemical substances in antiperspirants, were involved in this.
8. A dense bra stimulates cell degeneration
Fact: There is no serious reason to believe that linen (lace, cotton, synthetic, on bones and without) is related to malignant formations. This rumor is based on the fact that bras prevent the outflow of lymph, loaded with toxins. However, this is nothing more than an assumption. No studies have been conducted on this issue. And the largest medical institutions denied this statement. If women who do not wear linen, less likely to face breast cancer, this is primarily due to the fact that they are simply slimmer. Obesity is one of the most serious provocateurs. And at the same time, mammologists insist that the size of the bra corresponds to the volume of the breast. If it is dense and interferes with the outflow of fluid, this can lead to mastopathy (changes in the tissues of the breast).
9. Water in a plastic bottle left in the sun turns into poison
Fact: behind this myth lies the false idea that dioxins (a group of very toxic chemicals associated with many diseases, including breast cancer) get from a heated bottle into the water. But! In plastic there are no dioxins, and the sun's rays are not so strong as to provoke their appearance. Most disposable bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (labeled as PET). This substance was tested with special attention. And they came to the conclusion that it is safe. Another thing is that after the water, the bottles are refilled with tea, mors, milk, butter and even home-made liquors. Here experts are unanimous: plastic containers can not be filled with anything other than water. And then only the one where at the bottom there are figures 2,3,4 or 5 and a triangle, a symbol of repeated use. Thus, you can calmly buy and drink water in plastic bottles - there is no connection between them and breast cancer. And for storage it is better to choose special containers of glass, ceramics, metal.
10. If you exercise and eat right, cancer will never get sick
Fact: everyone, and first of all doctors, are very interested in making this true. But while it is safe to say that such components of a healthy lifestyle completely protect you from trouble, no one can. Despite the fact that under certain conditions the chances of encountering a disease really increase (for example, in hormone-dependent diseases or overweight), at the moment there is very little information on what causes cancer and how to avoid it. To stop breast cancer once and for all, you need to collect more scientific data. Of particular value are those where the differences between healthy women and those who have oncology are studied.