Breast cancer has been a medical concern for women since the Ancient Egyptian times. There is evidence of references being made of lumps in the breast on papyrus as far back as 1600 BC. There are many myths surrounding this disease and the lack of knowledge can make anyone diagnosed with breast cancer even more fearful. The following article examines some of the facts and some of the myths associated with breast cancer.
Breast cancer can happen to anyone
Some women do fall in the higher risk category, but the vast majority of women who develop breast cancer are not in a high risk category.
Age plays a major role
A woman's chances of developing breast cancer do increase as she gets older. A 30 year old has a one in 6 000 chance of developing breast cancer whereas at the age of 50 the same woman has a one in 600 chance.
Breastfeeding is best all round
Not only is breastfeeding best for the health of a baby, but it has also shown to be best for women. Females who breastfeed have a lower risk later in life of developing breast cancer.
Family ties
Only five to 10 percent of cases show breast cancer to be hereditary. For breast cancer to be linked to your family it needs to be linked to more than three generations and an immediate relative needs to have it.
There is still lots about breast cancer that is a mystery
A lot of research has been done into this disease especially in the last few years, but only 30% of the causes of breast cancer are known. The remaining 70% of causes are unknown.
The Pill and breast cancer
It is a myth that there is a link between the Pill and breast cancer. Many studies have been done on the relationship between the oral contraceptive and breast cancer, but no real link has been discovered. What the Pill does do though is delay pregnancy and this increases the risk of breast cancer.
Exercise
Exercising for four hours a week reduces a woman's breast cancer risk and the exercise levels out the production of oestrogen which can fuel tumours.
Moderate alcohol intake
It is no problem for a woman to enjoy a drink, but drinking more than two units of alcohol a day increases the risk of breast cancer by 24%.
Diet
Females are well-advised to keep animal proteins the smallest part of their diet. High animal protein intake increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
Some good news
Regular medical checkups and mammograms can help detect cancer early and when this is done, the survival rate is as high as 95%.
