1) Breast cancer manifests itself only with a lump

Nodulesthat appear in the breast are always the special observed for a diagnosis of breast cancer. However,it is not true that this neoplasm manifests itself only in this way. In fact, it is good to keep in mind that in certain cases the tumor mass may not be palpable to the touch, especially if the tumor is in the early stages. Precisely for this reason it is necessary to perform amammogramon a regular basis if over 50 years (earlier if there are genetic predispositions), in addition to self-examination and breast observationto identify:

• any changes in the shape and size of the breasts,
• presence of sinking or swelling,
• changes in skin color (redness, inflammation, presence of orange peel, etc.)
• the presence of secretions (serum or blood) from the nipple
• nipple retraction
• palpable lymph nodes in the armpit
• breast pain or tension other than that of premenstrual syndrome or occurring during the menstrual cycle

Not everyone knows that the Italian Ministry of Health has provided afree breast cancer screening program through mammographyto be performed every two years for women aged between 50 and 69 years. The Veronesi law has extended the right tofree mammographyevery 2 years also to women between 45 and 49 years.

Mammography allows to detect any tumor masses not yet palpable. Obviously,the contrary statement is also false, namely that every lump that appears in the breast is necessarily a neoplasm. Nodulescan also have a benign nature. If a lump is found as a result of self-examination it is recommended not to panic and to seek medical attention. Further tests are required for a definitivediagnosis.

2) Breast implants are carcinogenic

A false myth still hard to die identifies breast implants as a possible cause of breast cancer. This is a false statement, although it should be noted that these implants could cover some tumor masses that would usually be visible during a mammogram. In conclusion, silicone does not cause the disease, but it may delay diagnosis.

3) Only women of mature age get sick

This cancer is much more common among women of mature age, but it should not be thought that a young woman cannot get sick. Recentresearchavailable onJCO oncology practice (a publication by the American Society of Clinical Oncology) has shown that since 2004 cases of breast cancer have increased among young women aged 15 to 39 years (AYA). In the U.S., breast cancer is currently the most common type of cancer in women in this age group, accounting for 30% of cancers among AYA women. 5.6% of all invasive breast cancers occur in women aged 15 to 39 years.

The research also highlighted that triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of the disease, is more common among young women. Moreover, often in women under 40 the disease is diagnosed whendistant metastasesare already present . By virtue of the above, even young women should undergo frequent visits and self-palpation in order to identify possible alarm signals.

4) Bra and cell phone also cause breast cancer

This statement has no scientific basis. As for the bra, the belief that it is a carcinogenic factor derives from the fact that some models can irritate the skin due to theunderwiretags. In fact, this type of bra could under certain circumstances cause wounds prone to bacterial infections, but there is no scientific evidence linking it to breast cancer (Source). In general, trauma or infection of the breast cannotinitiate carcinogenesistags. The same goes for thecell phone, identified by some as responsible for breast cancer due to some research that has hypothesized a correlation with some brain tumors. However, these studies have not found any link between breast cancer and the cell phone.

5) Women with small breasts are less likely to get sick

Over the years, the belief that women with small breasts areless affected by the diseasehas spread more and more . This is obviously afalse statementtags. In fact, there are no studies that have found a correlation between the size of a woman’s breasts and the probability of getting breast cancer. Consequently, the opposite statement is also false, ie that women with very large breasts are more affected by the phenomenon.

However, it should be noted that some malignant nodules could be more easily identifiable if self-palpation is performed on small breasts. In this case, however, we are talking about a high probability of noticing the symptoms of the disease in a timely manner, which is very different from affirming that a small breast is less at risk of breast cancer.

6) Breast cancer only affects women

Breast cancer accounts for almost a third of cancer diagnoses in women, yet it is not exclusively a female cancer. Although with a very low incidence, equal to less than 1%,breast cancer can also affect men ( Source ).

Men are most at risk

• have Klinefelter syndrome , a chromosomal disorder caused by an extra X chromosome in males.
• having large numbers of chest X -rays , for example someone who has had radiation therapy for previous lung cancer or mediastinal lymphoma
• undergoing hormone therapy for prostate cancer,
• obese , due to the consequent increase in the production of estrogens which put them at greater risk of developing breast cancer.