THIS RIBBON BROUGHT TO YOU BY YUMA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

MYTH: Finding a lump in your breast means you have breast cancer.

TRUTH: Eight out of ten lumps are benign, or not cancerous. If you discover a persistent lump in your breast or any changes in breast tissue, it is very important that you see a physician immediately. Many times fear keeps women from aggressive health care. Sometimes women stay away from medical care because they fear what they might find. Take charge of your own health by monthly self-exams, regular visits to the doctor, and regularly scheduled mammograms.

MYTH: Men do not get breast cancer.

TRUTH: This year, about 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer in men will be diagnosed. About 500 men will die from breast cancer. While the percentage of men who are diagnosed with breast cancer is small, men should also give themselves monthly exams and note changes to their physicians.

MYTH: A mammogram prevents cancer.

TRUTH: An x-ray of the breast is called a mammogram. A mammogram cannot prevent breast cancer; however mammography is an excellent tool to screen for and detect the disease at an early stage. Currently, mammography is the only FDA approved exam to screen for breast cancer in asymptomatic women (women who have no symptoms of breast cancer such as a lump). To help detect breast cancer early, women forty years of age and older should have a regular mammogram in addition to a yearly clinical breast examinations (CBE) and monthly breast self-examinations (BSE).

MYTH: A mammogram can cause breast cancer to spread.

TRUTH: The x-ray and the pressure on the breast from the x-ray machine cannot cause cancer to spread. Do not let tales of other people’s experiences keep you from having a mammogram. Base your decision on your physician’s recommendation and ask the physician any questions you may have about the mammogram. MYTH: Having a family history of breast cancer means you will get breast cancer. TRUTH: While women who have a family history of breast cancer are in a higher risk group, most women who have breast cancer have no family history. If you have a mother, daughter, sister, or grandmother who had breast cancer, you should have a mammogram five years before the age of their diagnosis.

MYTH: Breast cancer is a communicable disease.

TRUTH: You cannot catch breast cancer or transfer it to someone else’s body. Breast cancer is the result of uncontrolled cell growth in your own body.

MYTH: Breast Feeding Causes Breast Cancer

TRUTH: Breast feeding does not cause breast cancer. In fact, some preliminary studies reveal that breast feeding may decrease a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. J. Brock Amon, M.D., is an Obstetric & Gynecological physician in practice with Yuma Regional Medical Center Women’s Health.