4
q
Todd Whitman,
MD, hematology and
oncology, medical
staff member at CVPH
Medical Center who
provides weekly
medical oncology consultations and
clinical care at the Reddy Cancer
Treatment Center
“DESPITE
all the progress
made against it, cancer is still a scary
disease to many people,” says Myrna
Sanchez, MD, oncologist. It doesn’t
help that there’s a lot of
misinformation—particularly on the
Internet—about what does or doesn’t
cause cancer.
Here’s what you should know
about four common cancer myths:
Myrna Sanchez,
MD, primary care
physician, board-
certified in internal
medicine and
palliative care with
additional specialties in oncology
and hematology
October: A good time to consider breast health
“As of yet, there is no sure way to prevent
breast cancer, the second leading cause
of cancer deaths among women in
this country,” says ToddWhitman, MD,
oncologist. “Even so, there are clear steps
women can take to reduce their risk. And
October, which is nationally recognized
as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is the
ideal time to take them.”
One key safeguard is for women to
maintain a healthy weight, especially in
midlife and later. After menopause, most
of the hormone estrogen in a woman’s
body comes from fat cells. Estrogen can
spur the growth of many breast tumors,
and being overweight or obese can
raise breast cancer risk. Women may be
especially vulnerable to breast cancer if
extra pounds settle on their waist, rather
than their hips and thighs.
These additional steps may help women
reduce their risk for breast cancer, according
to the American Cancer Society (ACS):
w w
Avoid alcohol.
Drinking is clearly tied
to a heightened risk of developing breast
cancer. In fact, your risk increases the
more you drink.
w w
Be active.
A growing body of research
indicates that exercise lowers breast
cancer risk. Aim for 150 minutes of
moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of
vigorous-intensity activity each week.
w w
Carefully weigh the pros and cons of
hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy that
uses both estrogen and progesterone
can increase breast cancer risk in as few
as two years of use. The use of estrogen
alone after menopause does not seem to
raise the risk of developing breast cancer.
Myth No. 1:
Using deodorants and antiperspirants
can cause breast cancer.
Reality:
This myth is based on the premise that
underarm products contain harmful substances that can
cause breast cancer when they are absorbed through
the skin or enter the body through nicks caused by
shaving. But neither the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
nor the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found
any clear link between breast cancer and deodorants or
antiperspirants.
Set the record
Myth No. 2:
Living in a polluted city increases your
risk for lung cancer as much as if you
smoked a pack of cigarettes every day.
Reality:
Air pollution may make it hard to breathe—
particularly if you have a lung disease like asthma—but it’s
not going to significantly raise your risk of lung cancer.
Smoking, on the other hand, is the leading risk factor for the
disease.
