Do Bras Really Cause Breast Cancer?
The short answer to this question is no, bras do not cause breast cancer. The study of breast cancer and cancers in general is extremely challenging, and no one can really point to one cause in particular for cancers. However, there are some clear risk factors for breast cancer which scientists have agreed on after years of studies. Contrary to the “facts” in chain letters you may have read, the risks of things like bras, implants, and underarm deodorant have yet to be proved through scientific study.
The brouhaha over bras and breast cancer was triggered in 1995 when two men published a study which they claimed proved a positive link between bras and breast cancer. Unfortunately, this study is a classic example of a very common problem in science: the tendency to link correlation with causation. The group of women in the study was too small to draw any meaningful conclusions about whether or not bras cause breast cancer, and the higher rates of breast cancer in women who used bras could have been attributed to a number of factors.
The study looked a 4,700 American women in five major cities, and it was supplemented with a study of women in Fiji. The American women had higher cancer rates in general than women in Fiji, and the authors erroneously decided that this was because the American women were more likely to wear bras. Of course, women in Fiji are exempt from many risk factors for breast cancer; for example, white women are at the highest risk for breast cancer, especially when they live in urban areas with a wide range of environmental pollutants, exactly like the women in this study.
No singular thing can be said to cause breast cancer. Some risk factors are gender, age, family history, genetic mutations, and race. Women who have children tend to be less likely to get breast cancer, and breast cancer has also been linked with hormone replacement therapy, alcohol abuse, high weight, and a poor exercise routine. Bras of all styles have not been linked with breast cancer in the hundreds of studies covering millions of women worldwide.
Many scientists believe that environmental toxins could be a significant factor in all sorts of cancer, including breast cancer. People who want to avoid cancers should try to live a healthy lifestyle, especially if they are at high risk. A doctor can provide more information about your risk for breast cancer and he or she will be happy to discuss concerns about what may cause breast cancer.
Although bras do not cause breast cancer, you can choose not to wear a bra for other reasons. However, if discomfort is the primary obstacle to wearing a bra, you may want to consider getting a professional fitting to ensure that you are wearing the right size. There are also a number of different strap styles, as well as wire-free bras, for women who cannot tolerate underwire bras. Ultimately, the decision to wear a bra or not is yours, but don't let pseudoscientific claims scare you away from support garments.
Written by S.E. Smith
