Breast cancer has now evolved as the most commonly found fatal disease among women of different ages.
According to the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, over 250,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed each year and approximately, 40,610 women die yearly due to the illness. Thus, it is crucial for all women to understand the reasons behind this deadly disease. Until now, the rumour that bras cause breast cancer is still widely argued. Before you burn your bras, let’s consider the rumour and balance it with some science facts.
At some point, you may have heard that there’s a link between wearing bras and developing breast cancer. Here’s how the rumour goes; women who normally wear a bra for 12 or more hours a day develop breast cancer at higher rates than women who never wear bras. The tight-fitting and underwire bras may block the breast’s lymph system, causing the accumulation of toxins inside the breast. The toxins, in turn, lead to the development of breast cancer.
The myth goes on to propose that breasts which swing free of a bra actually massage the mammary lymph system and constantly cleanse themselves of carcinogens. This statement remains as a rumour and there is no supporting evidence to support it.
Arguments in favour of using bras
Wearing bras do not cause breast cancer. There was no real difference in risk between women who wore bras and women who didn’t wear. A study published in the European Journal of Cancer in 1991 found that premenopausal women who did not wear bras had half the risk of breast cancer compared with women who wore bras. But, there’s a flaw in the study – the study didn’t take into account a woman’s body weight; is she obese or overweight? According to Therese B. Bevers, M.D., professor of Clinical Cancer Prevention and the medical director of the Cancer Prevention Centre and prevention outreach programs at MD Anderson Cancer Centre, women who are obese and overweight often have larger breasts and are less likely to go braless. If obesity does not take into account, then the evidence is not strong to support bras are causing cancer.
More recent research hasn’t found any association between bras and breast cancer. A study of 1,500 women published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention in 2014 found that there was no connection between the two. For the study, researchers asked women a ton of questions about their lingerie, including their cup size, how many hours a day they wore bras, how often they wore underwire bras, and how old they were when they started wearing a bra and found no link between bras—underwire or otherwise—and breast cancer.
The link between wearing bras and breast cancer
One theory behind the rumour, which has been debunked by the American Cancer Society, says that wearing a bra for the whole day compresses the lymphatic system of the breast resulting in accumulation of toxins that cause breast cancer. But, this theory fails to prove it as most of the breast cancers happen in the outer, upper quadrant of the breast which has good drainage overall. If there was a true association between wearing a bra and breast cancer, then we’d see more cancer in the bra region, which it doesn’t happen.
It is indeed that there is no proven link between wearing bras and breast cancer risk. However, there are well-defined and proven risk factors for breast cancer. Those include having a certain mutation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, a family history of cancer, getting your period early, going through menopause late, being inactive, overweight and having dense breasts.
The whole link between wearing the bra and the breast cancer is purely a myth and women need not change their dressing style to save themselves from this disease. Lately, many risk factors are identified as the probable culprits for the occurrence of breast cancer in women – like antiperspirant, smoking, breast implants, alcoholism and underwire bras but all these risk factors are uncertain, controversial and provide no proven effect.
There is no exact way to prevent breast cancer, bus some lifestyle decisions can significantly reduce the risk of it. Adapt a healthy lifestyle as in following a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Restrict the alcohol consumption and try to maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI).
Wearing a bra or not does not associate with the risk of getting breast cancer. A bra is not a necessity, so wearing one is really just a personal choice. If it gives you peace of mind to skip wearing a bra, then do so. Rest easy and enjoy gorgeous lingerie as much as you like!
References:
Chen L, Malone KE, Li CI. Bra wearing not associated with breast cancer risk: a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 23(10):2181-5, 2014.
Grismaijer, S., & Singer, S.R. (1995), Dressed to Kill: The Link Between Breast Cancer and Bras.Garden City Park, New York:Avery Publishing Group
Hsieh CC, Trichopoulos D. Breast size, handedness and breast cancer risk. Eur J Cancer. 27:131-5, 1991.
