Over the past century, the idea of breast cancer has evolved from being a taboo topic swept under history’s rug to being a cause with a voice amplified by millions of advocates and survivors.
Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer worldwide, and the first most common type of cancer among women. But before the 1970s breast cancer didn’t have a voice at all, in fact it was looked upon as too fearful, or even shameful to warrant an open discussion on the matter. The disease was wildly misunderstood, and women with breast cancer during this time were sometimes not even told of their diagnosis until waking up from a mastectomy missing a breast.
In 1974, First Lady Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and was very open about the subject. This sparked a movement for social acceptance of the idea which paved the way for the American Cancer Society to dub October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 1985.
By the 90s there was a push to not only be accepting and open about the subject of breast cancer, but to openly fight back against it by rallying support for more research funding and exposing the need to better understand how to prevent the likelihood of breast cancer.
This research has uncovered many good leads on better treatment for the different types of breast cancer, but hype has also started a few nasty rumors over the last twenty years that may need clearing up:
1. Wearing a bra increases your risk of breast cancer.
This myth started in a research study in the 90s which claimed that wearing tight clothing around breasts could restrict lymphatic flow. This has since been debunked by many health scientists and a subsequent research study that found no such correlation between the bra-wearing habits of women over 40 with and without breast cancer.
2. Most of those with breast cancer have a family history of it.
Only about 10 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of the disease, but a family history does increase risk. You are still at risk if no one in your family has ever been diagnosed with breast cancer.
3. Finding a lump means there is cancer.
Most of the time, lumps or other abnormalities are benign. They are not cancerous, but may still need treatment and should always be checked by a doctor.
Some of the best ways to decrease the risk of getting cancer are to have a healthy lifestyle with a regular exercise habit, no smoking and a balanced diet. Getting regular mammograms is highly recommended.
Also, BPAs in plastics have been confirmed in many studies to cause hormonal malfunctions that can lead to the forming and spread of certain types of cancer, so it is best to use alternatives such as glass or metal.
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