Tall tales about what causes breast cancer can do more harm than good.
MYTH ONE
Having a family history of breast cancer means you will get the disease
Most women who get breast cancer don't have a family history of the disease, Boyages says. "Therefore, all women should think about their breast health," he says. "For women aged 50-69, that means going for regular mammograms. Call 132 050 for information about the free breast-screening program."
MYTH TWO
Breast cancer is a young woman's disease
With the public face of breast cancer featuring the young faces of Belinda Emmett, Jane McGrath, Kylie Minogue and Christina Applegate, you could be forgiven for thinking it's a young woman's disease. It's not.
"The data is quite strong," Henderson says. "In Australia we are not seeing an increase in young women [under 50] with breast cancer. The [most common] age is the late 50s and 60s."
MYTH THREE
Antiperspirants and underwire bras cause breast cancer
"These are urban myths that have been debunked many times," Henderson says. Boyages says: "Breast cancer has been around since the ancient Egyptians and I don't think they had underwire bras."
MYTH FOUR
Freezing water in plastic, or microwave cooking with plastics releases cancer-causing toxins
One email doing the rounds warns of the dangers of the above and is attributed to the John Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Baltimore. John Hopkins has labelled the email a hoax.
"Freezing water does not cause the release of chemicals from plastic bottles," Boyages says. "And there are clear recommendations to only use microwave-safe containers. "
MYTH FIVE
Lumpy breasts increase your risk
Boyages says: "A lot of women get lumpier breasts before their period or may have cysts, which are common in the breast. Nine out of 10 lumps are not cancer. But if you have a lump that doesn't go away, have a triple test."
MYTH SIX
Small breasts reduce your risk
Breast size has nothing to do with the risk of breast cancer but Henderson says obese women, specifically women who are post-menopausal, have an increased risk.
MYTH SEVEN
Implants increase your risk of breast cancer
Silicon breast implants are not linked to breast cancer risk. The National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre reports that a large study on the long-term effects of implants followed women for more than 10 years and showed no increased risk.
Boyages says: "In some ways it's easier to find breast cancer, because the implant pushes the breast tissue forward."
MYTH EIGHT
Breast pain indicates breast cancer
Most breast cancers don't cause significant pain but a few do. "So you can't be complacent if a lump is painful," Boyages says. "In about 10 per cent of cases of breast cancer there is pain."
MYTH NINE
Nipple discharge indicates breast cancer
The majority of nipple discharge has nothing to do with cancer but Henderson says bloody discharges are a concern. "Even then, more often than not, it is not breast cancer," he says. Boyages says doctors will also be concerned by discharge that is coloured "like straw".
MYTH TEN
Mammograms cause breast cancer
Exposure to ionising radiation can cause cancer. However, given the limited number of mammograms a woman has in her lifetime and the standards of mammographic equipment in use in Australia, the increased radiation exposure from a mammogram is minimal, says the NBOCC.
"If you are 50 [and] having a mammogram every two years, the risk of radiation is far less than other risks we take every day," Boyages says.
However, having radiation for other cancers does increase your risk of breast cancer.
"If, for example, someone had Hodgkin's lymphoma as a teenager and had radiation treatment, they would be at much higher risk of breast cancer, so should start having mammograms 10 years after their initial treatment.
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