Listen Live

Myth #3: You can only get breast cancer if it runs in your family.

According to the American Cancer Society, only five to 10 percent of breast cancer patients had a relative who had the disease.

“While having a family history of breast cancer increases your risk for developing the disease, most breast cancer cases are a result of a random mutation of in the breast tissue,” Dr. Oyeyipo says.

Myth #4: Breast implants increase your risk of breast cancer. 

One would assume that women with breast implants have a higher risk of breast cancer due to the saline and silicone that’s inserted into the breasts. But, several studies, including this one suggest there is no link between breast cancer and breast implants.

Myth #5: Long-term use of birth control pills causes breast cancer.

According to a 2014 study published in the journal Cancer Research, women prescribed birth control pills had a greater risk of breast cancer by 50 percent roughly. And for birth control pills that contained estrogen? The risk increased to 60 percent. That said, while there is a link between the two, the evidence is not strong enough yet to suggest a direct cause and effect.

“Birth control pills are either a formulation of estrogen and progesterone or progesterone alone,” Dr. Oyeyipo says. “The progesterone hormone protects against breast cancer. What has been shown to increase the risk of developing breast cancer is unopposed used of estrogen as hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women.”

 

For more articles, click here. 

Re-Think Pink: 5 Common Breast Cancer Myths Busted  was originally published on blackdoctor.org

« Previous page 1 2