Everyone is surrounded by a lot of information related to breast cancer. Some are valid, and most aren’t(good or bad but it can also be filled with myths). While your friends or family members will try to protect you and make you more aware about the disease with the information they have but a lot of what you hear is not true(and aware you more about the disease with lots of information but not everything you hear is true). Wrong ideas about breast cancer-related problems can lead to unwanted worries and also can hamper treatment decisions.
common misconceptions which you hear about Breast Cancer.
- Myth: Women who don’t have a family history of Breast Cancer are not at risk
Truth: every woman has a risk of getting the disease, less than 5% of breast cancer is family related. Most of the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not have any relatives with the same disease. No matter whether you have a family history or not, you must follow the breast screening guidelines as you grow older.
- Myth: People with breast cancer will always have a lump
Truth:
The most common symptom of breast cancer is a breast lump, but not all lumps are of cancer. (Mostly all lumps are not cancer, and everyone who lumps will not have cancer.). In the early stage of cancer a lump may not be felt in the breast.
Hence the importance of health check up by trained surgeons and yearly mammograms for high risk groups .
Speak with your breast surgeon if you notice any changes in your breast and can be a sign of concern. It includes pain in nipples, swelling in the breast, irritation in the skin, redness in the nipple and so on.
- Myth: All breast lumps are cancerous
Truth: Mostly 80% of lumps in women’s breasts develop due to benign changes, cysts, fibroadenomas or any other conditions. It is important to report any change you see to your breast surgeons. The breast specialist might recommend a USG or Mammography to determine the cause of the lump.Whether you have breast cancer or not, you must be aware of its signs and symptoms and educate yourself so that early it can be detected.
By debunking these misconceptions about breast cancer, we hope to raise awareness and encourage women to take charge of their breast health. If you notice any changes in your breast, don’t hesitate to contact the best breast cancer specialist in Kolkata, Dr. Pooja Agarwal, for expert advice and guidance.