Breast cancer is one of the most common among cancers. Data from the Indian Cancer Society and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) shows that female breast cancer has replaces uterine cervical cancer as the commonest cancer among females in urban India. Breast cancer evokes a strong response of fear, especially among women. However, in spite of the relatively high prevalence, awareness is lacking. The result is that the disease is shrouded in mystery. This has given rise to many fanciful myths regarding this disease and the risk factors that increase its risk. Here we examine some of the more common myths about breast cancer and also set the record straight. This will help you evaluate your risk more realistically and also prepare you to protect yourself better. MYTH1: Wearing a bra with an underwire contributes to breast cancer. FACT: Although there has been a great deal of discussion that wearing an underwire bra might increase risk for breast cancer, such a link is not supported by the scientific evidence. A 1991 case-control study found that pre-menopausal women who did not wear bras had a lower risk of breast cancer than women who did wear bras; however, the researchers concluded that the higher risk was not linked to the bra itself. Women in the study who did not wear a bra were usually more likely to be lean and have smaller breasts. Since weight increases the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, and breast size is also currently under study as a potential risk factor for disease, these factors could be the reason for the higher risk in women who wear these bras. MYTH 2: Deodorants or strong perfumes cause breast cancer. FACT: There have only been a small number of studies looking at the link between deodorant or perfume use and breast cancer. Research in this area was driven by concerns that chemicals found in deodorants and perfumes might enter the skin in the underarm and cause changes in the cells of the breast that could lead to cancer. Evidence to date does not establish a link between the two. However, though a link between deodorants and perfumes and breast cancer appears unlikely, there are too few studies in this area to say for sure or form an indisputable conclusion.
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