By Marci Narum

As women we hear conflicting information about breast cancer. Some of what we believe to be true is actually myth. We talked to local physicians and radiologists to get some information to help you know the facts.

Myth: I will know if the lump I found is breast cancer because it will be painful.

Fact:  “Any lumps, cancerous or benign, can be painful or not painful,” explains Dr. Jill Klemin, Breast Specialty Physician with Sanford Health. “Just because a woman has a painful mass does not define it either way and we need to know about these new findings. Even new breast tenderness or pain in a woman is something she should bring to our attention regardless if there is a mass or not.”
Dr. Laura Archuleta, CHI St. Alexius Health Family Medicine Physician says, “The fibrocystic ones that are not pre-cancerous tend to be affected by hormone shifts and so they’ll get more painful at different times of the cycle. Those are harmless but that doesn’t mean that all painful breast lumps are harmless.”

Myth: I found a lump. I have breast cancer.

Fact:  “I tell my patients breasts are supposed to be lumpy,” says Dr. Archuleta. “But what we’re looking for is a change from the baseline. So know your body. Know what’s normal for you, be aware of any changes, and if there’s something that feels different than what you’ve ever noticed before, different than the tissue surrounding it. Let your doctor know and let them check it out. Ultrasound and mammogram are the first steps and usually from there we can tell most of the time whether it’s something to be concerned about or not.”
Dr. Klemin adds, “Just because you found a lump does not mean you found cancer and in fact more often than not, it’s certainly not cancer. Some studies suggest eight out of 10 times it’s not. You should still bring that to your primary care physician for a thorough exam and also talk about family history and other risk factors you might have for breast cancer and almost certainly need to work up imaging and could even go as far as biopsy to determine what that lump is.”

Myth:  My mammogram was negative but I found a lump. I should be fine.

Fact:  “Just because your mammogram is negative does not mean you should not takes those lumps seriously,” explains Dr. Christina Tello-Skjerseth, Sanford Health radiologist. “Mammography is not 100 percent accurate at detecting cancer. It’s very important that we take those lumps seriously and go on and get additional imaging, usually ultrasound. We may even repeat the mammogram because some cancers can develop very quickly and we may not have seen it the first time around.”

Myth:  Having a mammogram is painful.

Fact:  “It depends on the patient,” says Kim Sturn, Mammography Technician with CHI St. Alexius Health. “Some are way more sensitive than other patients. They are not the most comfortable thing in the world but in that aspect I think the pros outweigh the cons. A mammogram is quick and it’s for a good reason.”

Myth:  I don’t have a family history of breast cancer so I don’t need to worry or have a mammogram.

Fact:  “You can have absolutely no history and still get breast cancer,” says Dr. Archuleta. “Statistically, one in nine breast cancers are familial. We haven’t identified everything and every gene that leads to breast cancer. There’s the genetic breast cancers but there is also the familial, meaning we know it’s very strong in your family, we just haven’t found exactly what genetic link it is.”

Myth:  I’m only in my 20s so if I find a lump it can’t be cancer. I’m too young to have breast cancer.

Fact:  “It absolutely can be cancer,” says Dr. Klemin. “The younger you are it’s more likely to not be cancer but that doesn’t mean it can’t be cancer and that new lump in a 25 year old needs to be brought to the attention of a primary care physician and needs to have a careful examination. A young woman would more than likely go on to have an ultrasound to define that lump further.”

Myth:  There is nothing I can do to prevent my risk for developing breast cancer.

Fact:  “There are things we can modify and things we can’t,” says Dr. Klemin. “We can’t modify our genetics, our age, or our family history. We talk to women about maintaining a healthy weight. We know the risk of breast cancer goes up if a woman gains even ten pounds after the time of menopause. We know that drinking alcohol has a dose-dependent effect and smoking increases a woman’s risk for breast cancer.”