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10 Breast Cancer Myths

posted by Veronica, selected from Intent.com Apr 13, 2009 2:04 pm

By Marisa Weiss M.D., President of www.breastcancer.org

What is your risk of breast cancer? What about antiperspirants and breast cancer? What you don’t know CAN hurt you. Misinformation can keep you from recognizing and minimizing your own risk of breast cancer or getting the very best possible care. Arm yourself with the facts.

Here are ten common myths about breast cancer:

1. Breast cancer only affects older women.
No. While it’s true that the risk of breast cancer increases as we grow older, breast cancer can occur at any age. From birth to age 39, one woman in 231 will get breast cancer (0.5% risk); from age 40-59, the risk is one in 25 (4% risk); from age 60-79, the risk is one in 15 (nearly 7%). Assuming you live to age 90, the risk of getting breast cancer over the course of an entire lifetime is one in 7, with an overall lifetime risk of 14.3%.

More on Breast Cancer (56 articles available)
More from Veronica, selected from Intent.com (7 articles available)

6 comments

6 comments

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6 comments add your comment
Jessica D.

There's no proof that antiperspirants increase breast cancer risk, but in one study, the aluminium from antiperspirants made the cancer more aggressive, acting like extra estrogen in the body. That's something to think twice about, in my opinion.

Vural K.

thanks...you...
Kabin
Konteyner

Audrey Fernandes

Can someone clarify why do they do a mammogram involving harmful x-rays, when there is the option of a sono-mammogram which is more defined and clear and I think harmless.
I once did a mamogram and the report stated dense breasts, amd suggested a sono-mammogram. The sono-mamogram report was clear.
I would apprciate hearing more on this.

Bianca Schreur

mamografy is also a cause of breastcancer if you are one of the persons who have a gene that responds to x-rays and makes tumors after that! (A-T (ataxia-telangiectasia) gen)

There is evidence that chemicals are absorbed into the body through the skin,it is even used in medicine to treat poeple this way giving there medication on the skin wich absorbs it...so why cotradict this when it come to antitperspirants?
(think about the white women of ages ago who died of leadpoisson due to there make-up,according to scientists today this is not possible)

just some facts which are overseen.....

Kay R.
  • Kay R. says
  • Apr 14, 2009 6:22 AM

Some other facts worth knowing - http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/338/jan27_2/b86:
Summary from evidence based leaflet:

* It may be reasonable to attend for breast cancer screening with mammography, but it may also be reasonable not to attend because screening has both benefits and harms
* If 2000 women are screened regularly for 10 years, one will benefit from the screening, as she will avoid dying from breast cancer
* At the same time, 10 healthy women will, as a consequence, become cancer patients and will be treated unnecessarily. These women will have either a part of their breast or the whole breast removed, and they will often receive radiotherapy and sometimes chemotherapy
* Furthermore, about 200 healthy women will experience a false alarm. The psychological strain until one knows whether it was cancer, and even afterwards, can be severe

Susana C.

Very very important and usufull article!!

Thanks, my dear friend!

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