In the previous article I was writing about breast cancer myths and how to avoid falling for them! I’ll continue along these lines by targeting another set of myths which have been perpetuated for years and may well affect the way ladies live their lives!
1. Cutting into a Cancer and then exposing it to air causes it to spread – Some ladies believe that once a cancer has been cut into and exposed to the open air it’ll spread like proverbial wild fire. This is entirely untrue. Cancer can spread on its own through a process known as metastasis, in which single cells or small groups of cancer cells break away from the main body of the tumour and travel through the body in the blood stream where they lodge and start to grow again. This process is not caused by a surgeon or anyone else cutting into your cancer.
2. You have to have a genetic pre-disposition to get cancer – While it’s widely accepted that having a family history of breast cancer is certainly a factor which will put you at risk, it’s more than possible to get the disease without a history of it in your family. In fact, less than 10% of ladies who get breast cancer have a family history of the disease so check your breasts for lumps and bumps regardless of whether you think you’re at risk or not.
3. If you’ve got a genetic pre-disposition there’s nothing you can do – Firstly, just because it runs in the family doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get it. It means you should be more vigilant but nothing more. There are all sorts of genetic tests which are now available to patients and should provide them with a far better understanding of their risk factors. There are also small steps you can take to diminish any risk that you do have, these include drinking less alcohol, eating a low fat diet and exercising more.
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