Breast Cancer Awareness Guide

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Since the advent of the pink ribbon, health experts have been working hard to educate women about breast cancer. While we've come a long way, continuing to spread the right information is crucial. We asked top experts to dispel common myths and misinformation and clarify how women can protect themselves now.
-- Womansday.com

A BETTER WAY TO EXAMINE YOUR BREASTS

For years women have been told to check their breasts for lumps by using a circular motion. But more and more doctors are now recommending a different technique known as the vertical strips method. "It provides more thorough coverage of the breast, including under the arm," says Debbie Saslow, Ph.D., director of breast and gynecologic cancers at the American Cancer Society, which now recommends this method for women who do breast self exams. And according to Harvard researchers, the technique has a better track record of detecting smaller lumps than the circular exam.

• Imagine a grid drawn horizontally from your armpit to your breastbone, and vertically from your collarbone to just under your breast.

• Using the pads -- not the tips -- of your three middle fingers, move in tiny circles and apply varying degrees of pressure, starting under the armpit. Move your fingers down to the next square and repeat. Continue these vertical strips until you've covered the entire grid.

• A thorough exam of both breasts should take at least 10 minutes. At your next checkup, ask your doctor to review the vertical strips technique with you.

WHAT REALLY AFFECTS YOUR RISK OF CANCER

Myths and misinformation are rampant when it comes to risk factors and causes of breast cancer. Here's what you need to be concerned about and what you don't. Is it true that ...

• Wearing antiperspirants and underwire bras can lead to breast cancer?

No. Several studies have found no link between these products and breast cancer risk, says Dr. Victoria Seewaldt, director of the breast cancer prevention program at Duke University. One theory was that using antiperspirants or wearing certain types of bras would impede lymphatic flow through the breast, causing cancer-causing toxins to build up, but that's just not true, says Dr. Virginia Kaklamani, assistant professor of oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

• You're destined to get the disease if you have a family history of it?

No. "Most people who have a mother who developed breast cancer after menopause only have a modest increase in risk compared to the general population," says Dr. Claudine Isaacs, clinical director of the breast cancer program at the Georgetown University Medical Center. Plus, there's a difference between having a family history of the disease and having a genetic predisposition. If a close relative is diagnosed with the disease (including on your father's side), you have a family history. Carrying a mutation in one of the so-called breast cancer genes BRCA I or II indicates a genetic predisposition, which raises your lifetime risk of developing the disease 40 to 80 percent, Isaacs explains. That may sound high, but it still doesn't mean you will definitely get breast cancer, Isaacs says. "There are many lifestyle factors that come into play, including whether you exercise and are at a healthy weight, that can mitigate your risk," she says. Plus, if you have a BRCA I or II mutation, you can take measures to lower your odds. For example, removing the ovaries before menopause reduces breast cancer risk by 50 percent. That's why it's important to discuss your family history -- and your options -- with your doctor.