5 Breast Cancer Myths
Reported May 19, 2009
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — There’s a lot of information out there about breast cancer, but consider this: much of what you know may not be fact at all.
Kathy Connell was shocked five years ago when she learned she had breast cancer.
“The first thing that came to my mind was that they made a mistake,” Connell told Ivanhoe.
Kathy had no family history of the disease.
Mark S. Shachner, M.D., F.A.C.S., Director of the Women’s Wellness and Diagnostic Center at Coral Springs Medical Center in Coral Springs, Fla., says it’s a myth that no family history offers protection.
“Most people who do have a family history, it’s just a coincidence that they also have breast cancer,” Dr. Shachner told Ivanhoe.
In fact, 70 percent of women diagnosed have no known risk factors.
A second myth is that all women have a 1 in 8 chance of getting the disease.
“1 in 8 of women by the time they’re 85 will have had breast cancer,” Dr. Shachner said.
A woman in her 30s only has a 1 in 233 risk of getting the disease.
Myth number three: a mastectomy is better than a lumpectomy. Not true.
“We can say that if you get a lumpectomy versus having your breast removed that you’ll do better as far as cancer recurrence is concerned,” Dr. Shachner said.
Another myth: smaller breasts decrease your risk of breast cancer. In this case, size doesn’t matter.
The last myth that’s vital to dispel is that breast cancer always shows up as a lump.
“Really, most breast cancers probably aren’t preceded by a lump,” Dr. Shachner said.
You should check for lumps but also look for redness, swelling, dimpling, nipple pain or skin thickening.
Connell did feel a lump, and it saved her life.
“If I hadn’t found my cancer when I did, I would be living a very different story,” Connell said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
Diana Guayara, Media Coordinator
Coral Springs Medical Center
Coral Springs, FL
(954) 344-3329
dguayara@browardhealth.org