Breast cancer myths abound. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s time to set the record straight.

Information is powerful, but only if it’s accurate. The proliferation of myths about breast cancer, especially those concerning what may or may not cause the disease, can leave you wondering what to believe.

Boost your knowledge of this key threat to women’s health by learning the truth about these common breast-cancer misconceptions:

1. Fiction: A healthy lifestyle guarantees you’ll never develop breast cancer.
Fact: Maintaining a healthy weight, logging at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week and limiting alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day are certainly good for your overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, although these habits may reduce your risk of breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), they can’t affect dense breast tissue or eliminate inherited gene mutations, such as in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, both of which place women at risk for breast cancer, according to the ACS.
That’s why undergoing regular screening mammograms is so important — no matter how healthy your lifestyle.

2. Fiction: Only women with a family history of breast cancer go on to develop it themselves.
Fact: Having a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer is a significant risk factor — the ACS reports it nearly doubles a woman’s chances of developing the disease — but about 80 percent of women with breast cancer don’t have a first-degree relative who’s had it, according to the ACS. Again, getting screened regularly helps detect cancer early, regardless of your family history.

3. Fiction: A lump in the breast always means trouble.
Fact: Not necessarily. Several of life’s transitions, including menstruation, pregnancy and the years preceding menopause, can cause breast lumps that are nothing to worry about, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Many women have breast tissue that is naturally lumpy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular breast self-exams can help you identify new lumps that you may wish to bring to your doctor’s attention.

Are You Up-to-Date?
For women of average risk, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends annual mammograms between ages 45 and 54, and screening every two years beginning at age 55. Those screenings should continue for as long as a woman remains in good health and is expected to live for at least 10 more years.
Women between ages 40 and 44 should have the choice to begin screening if they’d like, the ACS advises, and women with genetic mutations, a family history of the disease or other factors that put them at high risk may need earlier or more frequent screenings.

Screening mammograms detect breast cancer early, when the disease is easier to treat. To schedule one at Tennova Healthcare – Clarksville, call 931-272-3939. Saturday appointments available during the month of October.

For more health and wellness articles like this one, visit our blog at TennovaWellness.com.

This publication in no way seeks to diagnose or treat illness or to serve as a substitute for professional medical care.