Risks:
Age – women over
502 [This is just
another good reason to never get older. Stop your birthdays now! Have
anniversaries instead like Dr. Carm.]
Personal history2
Family history2
[Unfortunately you can pick
your nose, but not your family.]
BRCA1, BRCA2, and
CHEK2 genes2—these genes can cause a 80% chance of breast cancer
development1
Exposure to
female hormones (natural or medicated)-levels/duration of ovarian hormone (this
stimulates cell growth). For example, early first menstruation, late menopause.2,3
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) such as estrogen therapy, as well as, menstruation
starting before age 12 or menopause starting after age 55 increases your risk1
First pregnancy
at a later age (older than 30) or never giving birth1,3
Obesity (poor
diet and low exercise)2 – This is controversial. “The theory is that
obese women produce more estrogen, which can fuel the development of breast
cancer”1
Excess alcohol
consumption2 [*sigh*]
Diethylstilbestrol
(DES) – used during pregnancy in 1940-1971 to prevent miscarriages and other
pregnancy problems1,3
“About 20-30% of
women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease”1
Radiation – radiation
in the chest area. “The younger you started such radiation and the higher the
dose, the higher your risk—especially if the radiation was given during breast
development”1
[Please note that some factors in pregnancy may decrease the
risk of breast cancer and other cancers such as ovarian and endometrial. “Being
pregnant more than once or becoming pregnant at an early age reduces your risk
of breast cancer.]1,3
Symptoms:
Early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms, hence
the need for breast exams1
Changes to breast size, shape, or feel1,2
Dimpling, rash, or skin changes2
Lumpiness or thickening of the breast (or armpit)1,2
Unusual or persistent breast pain2
Nipple soreness or fluid discharge1,2
Swelling or discomfort in armpit2
For men – symptoms include: breast lump, breast pain,
or tenderness1
Advanced Symptoms:
Bone Pain, Breast
pain/discomfort, skin ulcers, swelling of one arm, weight loss1
Exams and Tests:
Breast MRI1
Breast ultrasound1
Breast biopsy1
CT scan1
Mammography1
PET scan1
Sentinal lymph node biopsy1
Treatments:
Lumpectomy – removal of the lump with radiotherapy1,2
Mastectomy surgery – removal of breast itself1,2
Chemotherapy1,2
Axillary clearance – removal of affected lymph nodes2
Hormonal therapy1,2
Radiation therapy1
Targeted therapy1
Controversy: What do
you think?
A quick summary
A study was done by Grismaijer and Singer that showed a link
between bras and breast cancer, because it inhibits the flow of the lymphatic
system.4 Women who wear a bra for 24 hours/day were 125 times more
likely to have breast cancer than those who are bra-less.4 Those
women who do not wear a bra have the same risk as men for developing breast
cancer.4 Here’s a summary of their findings:
3 of 4 women
(75%) that wore their bras 24 hours/day developed breast cancer4
1 of 7 women
(14.3%) that wore their bras more than 12 hours/day (but not to bed) developed
breast cancer4
1 of 152 women
(0.7%) that wore their bras less than 12 hours/day developed breast cancer4
1 of 168 women
(0.6%) that rarely or never wore a bra developed breast cancer4
Thoughts against this study:
Lacked control on
epidemiological data for the correlation4
Lacked proof that
lymph contains carcinogen and that carcinogen can cause cancer4
There is an existence
of correlations between obesity and post-menopausal breast cancer. The study
did not look at pregnancies, age, obesity (where women who have smaller breasts
tend to go bra-less more often), diet, or medications (such as hormone
replacement therapy).4
Claims by the
medical and scientific communities—the National Cancer Institute, the American
Cancer Society, and the National Institute of Health—have stated that there are
no solid correlations between bras and breast cancers.4
Examples:
National
Institute of Health: “Breast implants, using antiperspirants, and wearing
underwire bras do not raise your risk for breast cancer. There is no evidence
of a direct link between breast cancer and pesticides”1
Budden (2012): “But
rest assured, there is no evidence that wearing bras-with or without
underwires, during the day or night-increases your risk of breast cancer.”2
So, what do you
think? Should women be concerned with bras and breast cancer?
(You must be 35
years old or older for the calculation to work)
