Top 10 Breast Cancer Myths And Facts | Navigating Cancer

👉 Get your free guide, '10 Things to Elevate Your Chemo Journey'

👉 Want personalized attention to help you along your individual cancer journey? Explore 1:1 sessions with Dr. Chaplin

👉 Want to find out more about Dr. Chaplin's journey of bringing a cancer drug to market? Explore his innovations

--------------------------------------------

Episode Description:

There’s a lot of information out there about breast cancer…

but not all of it is helping.

Some of the most common beliefs people rely on
are either incomplete—or completely wrong.

And in some cases, they can delay diagnosis
or create a false sense of security.

In this breakdown, Dr. Chaplin walks through:
• what actually increases risk (and what doesn’t)
• why screening matters more than most people think
• and the myths that continue to spread despite the data

If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer
—or wants to better understand breast cancer risk—
this is worth reading.

--------------------------------------------

Inquiries: 

info@elevatingcancertreatment.com

https://elevatingcancertreatment.com

--------------------------------------------

Disclaimer:
The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard or read in this podcast or on this channel.
Reliance on any information provided by Dr. Jay Chaplin or Elevating Cancer Treatment is solely at your own risk. Dr. Jay Chaplin is a scientist and drug developer, not a medical doctor providing patient care. The content presented here reflects general scientific understanding and research, and may not be applicable to your individual health circumstances. Individual medical conditions and treatments vary, and no two situations are exactly alike.
Always consult with your personal healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment plan.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Breast cancer is surrounded by myths, some scary, some misleading, and some downright dangerous. For instance, have you ever heard that sugar feeds cancer and all you need to do to get rid of it is cut sugar out of your diet? Or that only women with a family history are at risk? What about bras or deodorant cause it, or that if you live a healthy life, you're safe? I've noticed that there's a huge gap between what's in high-quality studies versus what spreads online. And as an immunologist who designs drugs for cancer, I want to set the record straight. Here's the truth. Misinformation can delay diagnosis, cause unnecessary fear, and even lead people to ignore symptoms. And that's the last thing you need. Hello everyone, and welcome to Elevating Cancer Treatment. I'm your host, Dr. Jay Chaplin. I'm an immunologist dedicated to designing cutting-edge drugs and vaccines, ways to manipulate the human immune system, and that's very useful in cancer. As we get started, a quick reminder: the information in this video is for educational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult with your personal health care provider for guidance on your specific situation. Okay. Now that that's out of the way, on this channel we tackle the complexities of cancer. We break down the science, which there's a lot of detail, and dispel the myths to help you navigate your health journey with confidence. What sets me apart is my multiple roles. I'm not just educating about cancer, I'm actively involved in designing and developing the very drugs and treatments that are shaping the future of oncology. This hands-on experience gives me a different understanding of how these therapies work, especially at a molecular level and how they interact with the human body. Because of that unique perspective, I've got more to say than your average influencer, and I want to share that with you. So if that sounds like something you're interested in, make sure you like this video, subscribe to the channel overall, and hit that notification bell so you never miss an update. Finally, before we dive into today's myths, two quick things. First, is a thank you for being here. I've created a free resource, 10 things to elevate your chemo journey. You can download that from our website using the link in the description. And second, by signing up for that, you'll also get exclusive updates on the innovative new cancer treatment that I'm working on. I am confident that it represents a significant leap forward in immunotherapy, and I'm committed to bringing you direct updates on our progress. Now, let's talk about breast cancer myths. You might be surprised to hear what's still being passed around as fact. And make sure you stick around for the last one. It's the most surprising of all to most people. Let's dive right in. Myth number one: if I eat healthy, stay active, and drink very little alcohol, I won't get breast cancer. So these healthy habits can certainly lower your risk, but while they're good for overall health, they don't guarantee prevention. The two biggest risk factors are simply being female and getting older. Sometimes even people who do everything right still develop breast cancer. It's not your fault, and it's not entirely in your control. You have influence, but not control, so please do not blame yourself. Myth number two, sugar causes breast cancer, and taking sugar out of your diet gets rid of breast cancer. That's a complete myth. The connection isn't direct. There's an influence, again, but no direct connection. Eating a lot of sugar can lead to weight gain, to diabetes and obesity, all of those are known risk factors, but sugar itself isn't a proven cause. As a matter of fact, it can't be. There's some evidence that very low sugar diets can reduce the risk of cancer, but not treat it. And there are associated risks as well. Sometimes zero sugar diets make cancer more aggressive. We'll explore this one more deeply in a future episode. Myth number three, if I don't have a family history of breast cancer, I can't get breast cancer. The truth is only about 5 to 10% of all breast cancers are inherited. That means that the majority occurs completely spontaneously, without any clear family link. As a matter of fact, nearly 85% of women who get breast cancer have zero family history of the disease, totally spontaneous occurrence. So, while family history is a significant risk factor, especially with what we call RACA mutations, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, it doesn't tell the whole story. Myth number four, wearing a bra causes breast cancer. There's no, no scientific evidence supporting this at all. It makes no sense. Underwire bras don't block lymph fluid circulation, and lymph fluid doesn't carry toxins that cause cancer. There was an excellent study in 2014 from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that completely debunked this myth. There's a link for the study down below, in addition to what you just saw. This one's really important to look at. Don't beat yourself up over wearing a bra. It did nothing. Myth number five, very similar, antiperspirants cause breast cancer. Again, no evidence! The amount of aluminum you get from antiperspirants is insignificant. It's about 2.5% of what you absorb from your food every day. Multiple studies have shown no link to breast cancer. It's safe to use what you prefer, and it's not just antiperspirants with aluminum, but also deodorants with parabens, no linkage. Myth number six, that there is a cause, any cause, for breast cancer. We'll talk about this in much more detail in the What is Cancer episode. There is no single cause for breast cancer or any type of cancer, as multiple changes are required to make normal cells become cancerous. On average, there are three to eight significant mutations or errors called hits required to make a cell turn cancerous. Even a very strong risk factor, like those bracket mutations, only make up one of those hits. So other mutations or risk factors like metabolic syndrome or spontaneous mutations are necessary to progress to cancer. That's why it usually happens later in life, which unfortunately leads us to myth 7. Only women in middle age or older get breast cancer. So about 4% of breast cancer cases occur in women under 40. Not a ton, but it's not insignificant. And by the way, about 1% occur in men. While risk generally increases with age, young women with strong family histories should be vigilant from earlier ages and monitor closely. This is especially important because triple negative breast cancer, the hardest kind of breast cancer to treat, often occurs in women under 50 and early detection dramatically improves treatment outcomes. Please keep getting screened, especially if you have any family history. Myth number eight. Breast lumps are always cancerous. So the opposite is kind of true. Not all tumors cause noticeable lumps. Breast exams can help, but they're not perfect substitutes for mammograms, which are a much better tool for detection. In addition, some people believe that characteristics of a lump, whether it's smooth or rough, whether it's painful or painless, whether it moves easily, influence the risk of it being cancer. There's no relationship between how a lump behaves and the chance that it is cancerous. Any new lump should be checked. Many lumps aren't cancer at all, so don't get distressed about them, just get them checked to be sure. And remember, just because you don't have a lump, doesn't mean you don't have any risk. That's why mammograms exist. Myth number nine, I can count. Life is back to normal after treatment. So not quite. Many of the targeted therapies like Herseptin are given for a full year or more. And many times hormone blockers are given for a decade. If the cancer is spread or metastasized, ongoing monitoring is necessary to make sure it doesn't come back. While the prognosis can be quite good, about 84% survival at 10 years for non-metastatic cases, there's usually no instant return to pre-cancer life. It takes time to adjust and continued vigilance is part of the journey. Myth number 10. This one surprises a lot of people. People think that all breast cancer is the same and all breast cancer is treated the same way. And that is the opposite of reality. Treatment depends on many, many factors: cancer stage, location and spread, genetic markers like those BRCO1 mutations, hormone receptor status, HER2 status, and more. And if none of that made sense, just know that there are multiple options of surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies, all of which are very different from each other. And we'll cover how doctors decide on treatments and what those differences mean for you in an upcoming episode. Every tumor is different. Even within the same person, every breast tumor is different. They're certainly different between people. There's no universal approach. So, there you have it. The 10 biggest breast cancer myths. Busted. Some were probably what you expected, and some might have surprised you. Probably that last one. If you'd like more personal guidance from a scientist who designs cancer drugs, I offer one-on-one sessions. Details are on our website linked below. While you're there, you can also grab our free guide, 10 things to Elevate Your Chemo Journey, which will also sign you up for updates on my own cancer research, including new treatments I'm designing. I appreciate you tuning in, and remember, knowledge is power. The more you understand, the more confidently you can navigate cancer with clarity. Be sure to like, share, and subscribe for more science-based cancer insights. I'll see you in the next video. Is there a cancer topic that you'd like me to cover next? Let us know in the comments. Uh if there are specific questions, specific drugs, specific treatments, interferences, things that you'd like to know about, rumors that you've seen or heard, drop us a line, let us know. We'd love any of your suggestions.