The unorganized growth of cells is known as cancer. When it occurs in the breast tissue, it is known as breast cancer. We hear a lot of things about breast cancer. Some are right, but some are not. Therefore we will tell you about myths and the truth about breast cancer. To know more, keep reading the article.
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you can consult with Oncologist in Lahore.
What Are The Symptoms of Breast Cancer?
The symptoms of breast cancer differ from person to person. Some people may not have any symptoms at all. However, in some it may show up as:
- A formation of a new lump in the breast or underarm
- Swelling or thickening of the breast or a part of it
- Dimpling or irritation of breast skin
- Flaky skin or redness in the nipple area of the breast
- Pulling in of the nipple
- Pain in the nipple area
- Discharge from nipple other than breast milk, such as blood
- A change in the size or shape of the breast
- Pain in any area of the breast
What Are The Myths and Truth About Breast Cancer?
The myths and truths about breast cancer are:
- Myth- you can only get breast cancer if you have a family history.
- Truth- family history can play a role in causing breast cancer. But it is not a must. Many women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have any family history. Being a woman and increasing age are huge risk factors for breast cancer. Therefore women of all ages, especially those above the age of 45, should attend all screening visits with their healthcare providers. Make a habit of self-screening your breasts for any changes and get mammography done on time.
Screening tests can help in the early diagnosis of the condition, which makes it easy to treat the condition. Otherwise, when cancer has progressed, it may not be treatable.
- Myth- if you live a healthy lifestyle, you will not get breast cancer.
- Truth- living a healthy lifestyle such as maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and doing regular exercise can help lower the risk of breast cancer. But it can not eliminate its risk.
You should live a healthy lifestyle. Not only it protects you from breast cancer, but it also prevents many other health conditions. But the risk of breast cancer still persists.
- Myth- wearing a bra can lead to breast cancer.
- Truth- for a long time, some people believe and spread that wearing a bra can lead to breast cancer. It was a theory that wearing a bra, especially that of underwire style, can restrict the flow of lymph fluid out of the breasts. Due to this, toxins can accumulate, leading to breast cancer. However, this is wrong.
Wearing a bra does not cause any harm to your breasts and does not lead to breast cancer.
- Myth- only women get breast cancer.
- Truth- we tend to believe that only women can get breast cancer. But that is not true. Men can also get breast cancer. But the risk in them is quite low as compared to women. Since men have breast tissue, the risk for breast cancer in them exists.
- Myth- any injury to the breast can lead to breast cancer.
- Truth- any injury does not lead to breast cancer. However, it can happen that when an injury happens, you inspect your breast closely and in the meanwhile, you can get a notice of a lump already present there. Women often end up misconstruing the fact that the lump was already present there and it did not occur due to injury.
The Bottom Line
You can get to know about breast cancer at an earlier stage if you keep doing self-examination tests and attend screening tests. If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you should attend a follow-up visit with the healthcare provider. For an expert opinion, you can consult with Oncologist in Karachi.