That Ain’t True: Debunking Breast Cancer Myths
Find out what's real and what's not about this disease.
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Don’t Believe the Hype - October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Do you know the biggest myths about breast cancer? Read about the truths and fallacies about this disease. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Peathegee Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)
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Myth 1: Bras Cause Breast Cancer - A recent study has finally put to rest a persistent Internet health myth. Researchers found that in no way does wearing a bra increase your risk of developing breast cancer. These findings also took into account the amount of time, type of bra worn and whether it had under-wire, says the Washington Post. (Photo: 2/ballyscanlon/Ocean/Corbis)
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Myth 2: Only Older Women Need to Worry About Cancer - While age is a risk factor in who develops breast cancer, it isn’t the end all be all. Actually, Black women tend to develop the disease at a younger age than white women — as young as our early 30s in some cases.
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Myth 3: You Are Only at Risk if Breast Cancer Runs in the Family - Not so fast: Yes, having a mom, sister or child who has had breast cancer does double your risk, but if that doesn’t pertain to you, don’t think you are in the clear. About 70 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. (Photo: Sam Edwards/GettyImages)
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Myth 4: Mammograms Can Cause and Spread Cancer - A mammogram is a type of screening that involves compressing the breasts and X-rays do not cause cancer or make cancer spread. That’s just an old wives’ tale. Getting a mammogram is the gold standard in screening for the disease. (Photo: Ron Chapple/Getty Images)
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