That Ain’t True: Debunking Breast Cancer Myths

Find out what's real and what's not about this disease.

Don’t Believe the Hype - October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Do you know the biggest myths about breast cancer? Read about the truths and fallacies about this disease. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Peathegee Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Don’t Believe the Hype - October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Do you know the biggest myths about breast cancer? Read about the truths and fallacies about this disease. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Peathegee Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)

Myth 1: Bras Cause Breast Cancer - A recent study has finally put to rest a persistent Internet health myth. Researchers found that in no way does wearing a bra increase your risk of developing breast cancer. These findings also took into account the amount of time, type of bra worn and whether it had under-wire, says the Washington Post.  (Photo: 2/ballyscanlon/Ocean/Corbis)

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Myth 1: Bras Cause Breast Cancer - A recent study has finally put to rest a persistent Internet health myth. Researchers found that in no way does wearing a bra increase your risk of developing breast cancer. These findings also took into account the amount of time, type of bra worn and whether it had under-wire, says the Washington Post.  (Photo: 2/ballyscanlon/Ocean/Corbis)

Myth 2: Only Older Women Need to Worry About Cancer - While age is a risk factor in who develops breast cancer, it isn’t the end all be all. Actually, Black women tend to develop the disease at a younger age than white women — as young as our early 30s in some cases. 

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Myth 2: Only Older Women Need to Worry About Cancer - While age is a risk factor in who develops breast cancer, it isn’t the end all be all. Actually, Black women tend to develop the disease at a younger age than white women — as young as our early 30s in some cases. 

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Myth 3: You Are Only at Risk if Breast Cancer Runs in the Family - Not so fast: Yes, having a mom, sister or child who has had breast cancer does double your risk, but if that doesn’t pertain to you, don’t think you are in the clear. About 70 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history. (Photo: Sam Edwards/GettyImages)

Preventive Health Care Services - More than 7 million African-Americans, 8 million Latinos and 3 million Asian-Americans would again have to pay out-of-pocket for lifesaving preventive health care services, like mammograms and cervical and colon cancer screenings. (Photo: Ron Chapple/Getty Images)

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Myth 4: Mammograms Can Cause and Spread Cancer - A mammogram is a type of screening that involves compressing the breasts and X-rays do not cause cancer or make cancer spread. That’s just an old wives’ tale. Getting a mammogram is the gold standard in screening for the disease.  (Photo: Ron Chapple/Getty Images)

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The Perfect Fit - Wearing a good support bra not only keeps the girls in tip-top shape, it also complements your overall appearance. (Photo: Jack Hollingsworth/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Myth 5: But I Have Small Breasts. I Am Not at Risk - Yes, having dense breasts can make it harder to detect tumors during self-exams or mammograms, but it doesn’t mean the A-cup club has nothing to worry about. (Photo: Jack Hollingsworth/Blend Images/Corbis)

Myth 6: Having an Abortion Raises Your Risk of Breast Cancer - While the anti-choice movement will spread this lie, it just isn’t true. There is no reputable data that shows a connection between ending a pregnancy and your risk for breast cancer. (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)

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Myth 6: Having an Abortion Raises Your Risk of Breast Cancer - While the anti-choice movement will spread this lie, it just isn’t true. There is no reputable data that shows a connection between ending a pregnancy and your risk for breast cancer. (Photo: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Blend Images/Corbis)

Myth 7: Finding a Lump Means You Automatically Have Cancer - Here’s the tea: Most lumps are not cancer. Only a small percentage of women with lumps have malignant tumors. In most cases lumps can be cysts, noncancerous tumors or cystic tissue.  (Photo: Corbis)

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Myth 7: Finding a Lump Means You Automatically Have Cancer - Here’s the tea: Most lumps are not cancer. Only a small percentage of women with lumps have malignant tumors. In most cases lumps can be cysts, noncancerous tumors or cystic tissue.  (Photo: Corbis)

Myth 8: Men Cannot Get Breast Cancer - Actor Richard Roundtree would tell you different. Men can get breast cancer and actually have higher death rates, because doctors don’t push them to get tested and, when they are diagnosed, they are tested late.  (Photo: Tracy Kahn/Corbis)

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Myth 8: Men Cannot Get Breast Cancer - Actor Richard Roundtree would tell you different. Men can get breast cancer and actually have higher death rates, because doctors don’t push them to get tested and, when they are diagnosed, they are tested late.  (Photo: Tracy Kahn/Corbis)

Myth 9: Deodorant Causes Cancer - While this is a popular myth, it just isn’t true. There is no trusted data that has found a correlation between wearing deodorant and antiperspirants and breast cancer risk, confirms the National Cancer Institute.  (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Myth 9: Deodorant Causes Cancer - While this is a popular myth, it just isn’t true. There is no trusted data that has found a correlation between wearing deodorant and antiperspirants and breast cancer risk, confirms the National Cancer Institute.  (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)