Debunking 14 myths about cervical and breast cancer
Cervical and breast cancer are some of the most common cancers that effect women, but they’re also often the most misunderstood. Below are 14 points that will help you clear up the facts, and when you’re done reading, call 1-844-249-0708 to schedule a free screening through Kentucky’s Women’s Cancer Screening Program.
Myth #1: Cervical cancer is uncommon.Fact: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. More than 250,000 women die of cervical cancer every year with 500,000 new cases diagnosed annually, reports the World Health Organization (WHO).
Myth #2: Cervical cancer only harms older women.Fact: This is probably the most common myth among, especially younger women, but cervical cancer can affect women of any age. Thirty-three percent of black women, and 38 percent of white women 40 and under already have reached the late stage by the time they get screened. In fact, the average age women receive a diagnosis for precancerous changes in their cervix is only 29 years old.
Myth #3: Women who go through menopause are no longer at risk.Fact: Your risk for cervical cancer doesn’t decrease with age neither does whether you’ve gone through menopause. Of black women over 65 who test positive, 80 percent of them are in the late stage. Of white women over 65 who test positive, 68 percent are in the late stage. Pap smears and HPV tests should be done religiously.
Myth #4: Cervical cancer can’t be prevented.One of the best ways to prevent cervical cancer is to go for regular screenings. Pap tests look for precancerous changes in the cervix that might lead to cancer, and if any tumours are found, they can be treated before they become invasive. They’re usually also smaller and easier to treat than large, malignant growths, and much less dangerous.
Myth #5: A regular Pap test is enough to protect women against cervical cancer.Fact: While the Pap test has helped significantly decrease the number of cervical cancer cases in the US, sometimes it misses precancerous cells. For women 30 and older, the HPV test along with a Pap increases the ability to identify women at risk to nearly 100 percent. Women under 30 should get the HPV test if their Pap results are inconclusive, according to a leading gynecologic oncologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Myth #6: No symptoms, no cervical cancer.Fact: There are no symptoms linked to the early stages of cervical cancer. However, once the cancer becomes invasive, you may experience pelvic, leg and/or back pain, abnormal vaginal discharge and/or bleeding, swelling of the leg, bleeding from the rectum, blood in the urine, and even coughing blood. Early detection and treatment – before you experience obvious symptoms – greatly increases the ability to stop the cancer from developing and spreading. So get tested!
Myth #7: Only promiscuous women develop cervical cancer.Fact: Anyone who has had sex, even if it was with just one partner, is at risk for cervical cancer because HPV, the cause of cervical cancer, is spread so easily through sexual contact. In fact, HPV is a very common virus. About 80 percent of women will have contracted HPV at some point by age 50.
Myth #8: Most breast cancer runs in families.Fact:Only five to ten percent of breast cancer is hereditary, and even in women who have a family history, many cases are not due to specific gene mutations, according to the American Cancer Society. The medical world still doesn’t know what causes breast cancer (although you can address risk factors like obesity, inactivity and alcohol consumption). Twelve percent of women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer with 246,660 women diagnosed with it every year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Myth #9: Young women don’t get breast cancer.Fact: Women under 50 make up 25 percent of breast cancer cases, and they have higher mortality rates, partly due to the fact younger women have denser breasts so it’s harder to spot lumps during mammograms, reports Prevention. Starting at age 20, you should perform monthly self-breast exams, and get a clinical exam from a doctor every 3 years. When you turn 40, you should start getting mammograms.
Myth #10: Flat-chested women have a lower risk.Fact: Breast cancer first develops in the the part of the breast that makes milk and delivers it to the nipple, so your actual breast size doesn’t matter. Starting at age 50, you should have a mammogram and clinical breast exam done every one to two years, says the US Preventative Services Task Force, and other organizations, like the American Cancer Society, recommend starting regular mammograms in your early 40s.
Myth #11: Breast cancer always appears as a lump.Fact: About 10 percent of those diagnosed with breast cancer have no lumps, or other sign of a problem, and among lumps that are found, 80 to 85 percent turn out to be cysts and noncancerous tumors, according to Prevention, which is why it’s imperative that you go for your regular mammograms and not only rely on self-examinations.
Myth #12: Mammograms don’t detect small tumors faster than women can themselves.Fact: Screening mammograms detect many small tumors 2-3 years before they can be felt. That’s why screening is so important — it can find cancer before it has a chance to become more serious and spread.
Myth #13: A normal mammogram means there’s no need to worry about breast cancer.Fact: Just because one exam comes back normal doesn’t mean breast cancer won’t develop later, and unfortunately, mammograms miss up to 20 percent of breast cancer in women who don’t show symptoms, which is why guidelines call for mammograms every year, especially for women over age 50. You can also ask your doctor about digital mammograms that detect 15 percent more cancer in women under age 50 and 11 percent more in women with dense breasts.
Myth #14: Mammograms cause or spread breast cancer.Fact: The risk of harm from radiation is minuscule compared to the huge benefits of early detection. Radiation doses are regulated by the FDA and to the amount the average person receives naturally over three months. The risk of long-term health effects from mammograms is almost zero, according to the FDA.