4 misunderstandings about breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, accounting for 7% to 10% of all malignant tumors in my country. The cause of breast cancer is still unclear, and it is difficult to propose an exact etiology for prevention. We can only focus on secondary prevention. At present, there are still such misunderstandings in the public's understanding of breast cancer:

1. Breast cancer is exclusive to women

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, but this does not mean that men will not get breast cancer. Studies have shown that the incidence of male breast cancer is about (0.85-1.30)/100,000. Since men have less breast fat tissue, cancer cells can easily invade the subcutaneous lymphatic network, resulting in a much higher mortality rate of male breast cancer than women, so men should also pay attention to changes in their breasts.

2. Long-term use of birth control pills can cause breast cancer

This statement is not accurate. Relevant studies have shown that oral contraceptives do not increase the risk of breast cancer in women, but they may increase the risk of breast cancer in women with a family history. Modern oral contraceptives have low hormone content and can prevent pregnancy, regulate menstrual cycles, reduce the incidence of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer in women, and prevent osteoporosis. In short, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

3. Breast cancer is a death sentence

The five-year survival rate of breast cancer patients who are discovered early and have not yet developed distant metastasis is as high as 80%, and they can also maintain a high quality of life after active surgical treatment. With the development of breast cancer treatment methods, breast cancer does not mean the end of life as long as it is discovered early and treatment is persisted.

4. If you have breast cancer, you will lose your breasts

There are various ways to treat breast cancer. More than half of patients can receive breast-conserving treatment. There are now many surgical methods that can preserve the appearance of the breast, meeting patients' aesthetic requirements and reducing patients' psychological pressure to a great extent.