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Breast Cancer - Did you know ?
- Antiperspirants do not cause breast cancer. The primary purpose of perspiration is to cool the body, not to expel toxins, which is the function of the kidneys and liver. Also, breast tissue is quite separate from the sweat glands under the arm and from the lymph nodes in the armpit.
- Men get breast cancer too. About twenty men are currently diagnosed each year in New Zealand.
- Under-wire bras are safe – they do not cause breast cancer.
- Only 1% of breast pain is due to breast cancer. The rest can be explained by hormones, stress, diet and lifestyle.
- A lump in the breast isn’t the only possible sign of breast cancer. Other signs include: a change in the size or shape of the breast; a thickening in the breast or armpit; a change in the colour or dimpling/puckering/scaling of the breast, areola or nipple; a newly retracted/inverted nipple; or blood or discharge from the nipple.
- Many possible breast cancers are found by partners. Listen to them and get anything unusual checked by a GP.
- X-rays from having a mammogram are not dangerous. Mammograms can help save lives by finding a cancer early before it can be felt as a lump and before it has spread.
- Any lump detected in a woman should be checked with a clinical examination, ultrasound and mammogram, as well as a needle biopsy. The ‘triple test’ is important so make sure your GP follows this guideline.
- Most breast cancers are diagnosed in older women - over 50 years of age. That is why it is vital for women between the ages of 50-70 to use the free BreastScreen Aotearoa screening programme,
- Tumours found in younger women tend to be more aggressive and harder to find. That’s why we recommend yearly mammograms between the ages of 40 and 50 years.
- The cause of breast cancer is still a puzzle, but you can help reduce your risk by leading a healthy lifestyle, being breast aware, and having age appropriate mammograms.
- 90-95% of those with breast cancer do not have a strong family history of the disease. A family history means 3 first-degree relatives, like a mother, sister, grand-mother, have had breast cancer. If this is the case you need to be extra vigilant about checking your breasts and having age appropriate mammograms. Discuss a high-risk surveillance programme with your doctor.
- Women at high risk of breast cancer may carry a breast cancer gene which has a 50% chance of being passed onto their children – male or female.
- Breast feeding can help reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in future – but it is not a 100% guarantee.
- Several studies link alcohol intake (more than one glass per night) to an increased risk of breast cancer. Alcohol alters the way a woman’s body metabolises oestrogen. This causes blood oestrogen levels to rise, which in turn increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Free mammograms are available for women between the ages of 45 and 69 through the BreastScreen Aotearoa screening programme. These mammograms are for women with no symptoms of breast cancer. However, if you are outside this age group you are also eligible for a free mammogram (with a referral from your GP) if you:
- have suspicious signs or symptoms of breast cancer
- have previously been treated for breast cancer
- have a strong family history of breast cancer
- Every woman in New Zealand who wishes to have reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy should be offered this. It is imperative women in this situation get the opportunity to discuss this with their specialist.
- One in ten men in New Zealand will lose a wife, sister, daughter or wife to breast cancer
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