Myth: an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.
Truth: a true or actual state; verifiable; congruent with reality.
Over the last 25 years, pink ribbon culture has developed into its own social institution. Like all institutions, it has social norms that regulate it, beliefs that uphold it, and structures to disseminate and preserve it. No surprise that many of the collective beliefs supporting pink ribbon culture, upon close inspection, turn out to be false, unverifiable, or incongruent with reality.
Based on the current body of evidence and its mission, the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) compiled a list of “31 myths and truths about breast cancer.” Much of this information is missing from mainstream breast cancer awareness campaigns.
NBCC is a nationwide advocacy organization founded in 1991 as a broad-based network of grassroots supporters and member organizations that included both breast cancer groups as well as groups focused on all cancers. Member organizations would maintain their own agendas for support, education, and advocacy. But as a coalition, they share the goals of shaping public policies, fostering empowered and evidence-based decision-making, and engaging administrative agencies, scientists, and health care professionals around a new breast cancer agenda.
Click the links below to read what NBCC has to say about of these common myths about breast cancer.
Myth #1: Monthly breast self-exams save lives
Myth #2: Mammograms can only help and not harm you
Myth #3: MRI is better than mammography because it finds more cancer
Truth #4: When breast cancer shows up on a mammogram, it may have been in your body for 6-10 years
Truth #5: Breast cancer mortality rates are declining
Myth #6: Mammograms prevent breast cancer
Truth #7: We don’t know how to prevent breast cancer
Myth #8: Most women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease
Myth #9: Men don’t get breast cancer
Truth #11: Most people think they have a higher risk of breast cancer than they actually do
Myth #12: Everyone’s breast cancer is the same
Myth #13: Everyone who has a positive BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 test result will get breast cancer
Myth #16: There are drugs that can prevent breast cancer
Truth #19: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases your risk of breast cancer
Myth #20: With new treatments we can now cure breast cancer
Truth #21: You should question your doctor
Myth #22: If I am not a scientist, then I won’t be able to understand breast cancer research
Truth #23: Your tax dollars fund a significant amount of breast cancer research
Myth #24: My Senators and Members of Congress have no role in what happens in breast cancer
Myth #25: The media accurately reports breast cancer science
Myth #26: All breast cancer research is good because it moves us toward prevention and a cure
Truth #28: Less than 3% of adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials
Truth #29: I can educate myself
Truth #30: I can influence what happens in Washington D.C. about breast cancer
Truth #31: I can make a difference
