Breast cancer is the second-most commonly diagnosed cancer for women in the U.S. It is also the second-deadliest form of cancer for American women. Thankfully, death rates for women older than 50 from breast cancer have continued to drop since 2007, due in part to increased awareness and treatment advances. While awareness concerning breast cancer has increased, there are still myths about breast cancer that persist, and some are truly dangerous. Arming yourself with knowledge is a good first step in the fight against breast cancer, so take our quiz about breast cancer myths and share your knowledge with family and friends!
1.) True or false? The only people who need to worry about getting breast cancer are those with a family history of the disease; if you have no family history, then you won’t get it.
2.) Who can get breast cancer?
- Middle-aged and older women
- Young women
- Men
- All of the above
3.) True or false? Getting an annual mammogram guarantees that breast cancer will be found early.
4.) Which lifestyle factors can keep you from getting breast cancer?
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising regularly and eating healthy
- Limiting alcohol
- None of the above
5.) True or false? Eating too much sugar causes breast cancer because sugar feeds the cancerous cells and speeds up their growth.
6.) Which of the following habits can cause breast cancer?
- Wearing a bra, especially an underwire bra
- Using antiperspirant
- Putting your cellphone in your bra
- None of the above
7.) True or false? Breast cancer will always present a lump that can be felt in the breast, and you can tell if a lump is cancerous by how it feels.
8.) True or false? Since early-stage breast cancer rarely recurs, you don’t need to worry about it after you’ve been successfully treated.
9.) True or false? All breast cancer is treated in exactly the same way.
10.) True or false? There are no long-lasting impacts once breast cancer treatment is finished.
compiled by ERIKA ALDRICH / Information from BreastCancer.org
ANSWERS
- False. Only about 5% to 10% of breast cancer is considered hereditary. While having a family history of breast cancer does increase your risk, most people who get breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.
- D. All of the above. While breast cancer is most common in middle-aged and older women, young women and men can get breast cancer.
- False. While getting a mammogram is the best early-detection tool available, mammograms are not guaranteed to detect breast cancer at the early stage. Self-exams and physical exams are important, too.
- D. None of the above. While eating healthy, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol all lower your risk of getting breast cancer, none of those behaviors completely eliminates the risk.
- False. All cells in the body utilize sugar. While there does seem to be a link between diabetes and a higher risk of breast cancer, sugar itself does not cause breast cancer.
- D. None of the above. To date, there have been zero studies that have shown a link between breast cancer and wearing a bra, using underarm antiperspirant, or carrying your phone in your bra.
- False. Breast cancer does not always cause a lump that can be felt, especially in the early stages of the disease. Furthermore, the only way to tell if a lump is cancerous is through a diagnosis by a healthcare professional.
- False. Even breast cancer that has been caught early and treated can recur. While early-stage breast cancer does have a lower recurrence rate, it’s still possible it could recur.
- False. Because people are different, and each case of cancer varies from another, the treatment plan for every case of breast cancer is different.
- False. Even with successful treatment, hormonal therapies, reconstructive surgeries, and further treatments can last for years or even a lifetime after beating breast cancer.