Myth | Fact |
I'm only 35. Breast cancer happens only in older women. | While the risk of breast cancer increases with age, all women are at some risk for getting breast cancer. |
Women with a family history of breast cancer are the ones who typically get breast cancer. | Actually, a majority of women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease. However, a woman whose mother, sister, daughter, or grandmother had breast cancer has an increased risk. |
If I don't have a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, I won't get breast cancer. | Just because you do not have a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, you can still get breast cancer. About 90-95% of women who get breast cancer actually do not have an inherited form of breast cancer, or a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.* |
Women with more than one risk factor are the ones who typically get breast cancer. | A majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors. All women are at risk. |
You can prevent breast cancer. | Because the cause of breast cancer is not yet fully known, there is no way to absolutely prevent it, although the antiestrogen drug tamoxifen can help reduce the risk.** Early detection and treatment are the keys to surviving. |
If I had a mammogram every year, I would be exposed to too much radiation, and that would cause cancer. | The small level of radiation from mammograms is believed to be safe, with the benefits outweighing the risks. |
Breastfeeding can protect me from breast cancer. | Breastfeeding may decrease a woman's risk of getting premenopausal breast cancer, but does not lower a woman's risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. |
