Thank you for this. I remember when this shit first started. Fortunately I had the training (medical doctor here) to know it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. Then 5 years ago when out of the blue I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was shocked how many intelligent woman whispered to me that I shouldn’t have worn a bra because you know, it causes cancer. 🙄
Usually I was polite, played the MD card, and said the data for such an assumption didn’t exist.
Often I said there is no point in blaming one’s self for a cancer diagnosis because it isn’t our fault. Woulda coulda shoulda steals mental energy that can instead be focused on getting through the necessary treatment and coming out on the other side, healthy and whole.
It's reprehensible that anyone with a modicum of medical or scientific literacy spreads this BS. Do they get perverse pleasure of scaring women and making them feel it's their own fault for getting breast cancer? It just shows how f*cked up they are and how little they know about how the lymphatic system. Thanks again for continuing to fight the good fight against medical disinformation and those who profit from this
And then there was the "don't wear underwired bras during pregnancy, only soft cups, or you'll get breast cancer" which everyone (including all the midwives) and their dog tutted at me about. Seeing as I got to a cup size J during pregnancy I needed underwiring if I wanted to even walk along the street in any comfort. I couldn't find a nursing bra which *had* underwiring. Mammograms clear so far ....
Thank you so much for fighting medical misinformation misogyny for us, Jen.
I always wonder why people would want to push these narratives-what’s in it for them? Is there an actual underlying motive to do good, or is this just that sensationalism gets views? Seems more like the latter 99.9% of the time.
Thank you for this. I remember when this shit first started. Fortunately I had the training (medical doctor here) to know it wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. Then 5 years ago when out of the blue I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was shocked how many intelligent woman whispered to me that I shouldn’t have worn a bra because you know, it causes cancer. 🙄
I'm curious, what was your response (if you care to share)?
Usually I was polite, played the MD card, and said the data for such an assumption didn’t exist.
Often I said there is no point in blaming one’s self for a cancer diagnosis because it isn’t our fault. Woulda coulda shoulda steals mental energy that can instead be focused on getting through the necessary treatment and coming out on the other side, healthy and whole.
I read the headline on my Substack app and thought “???”
Dr Jen, it is truly incredible that you have to debunk such nonsense.
Thank you again for putting a little sanity back into our lives. You help so many people put this bull shit back into the garbage where it belongs.
The more common myth is that aluminum in deodorant causes breast cancer. Have you debunked that one?
I haven't written about it, but it is a myth!
It's reprehensible that anyone with a modicum of medical or scientific literacy spreads this BS. Do they get perverse pleasure of scaring women and making them feel it's their own fault for getting breast cancer? It just shows how f*cked up they are and how little they know about how the lymphatic system. Thanks again for continuing to fight the good fight against medical disinformation and those who profit from this
Good grief! I thought this was dead and buried... <sigh>
And then there was the "don't wear underwired bras during pregnancy, only soft cups, or you'll get breast cancer" which everyone (including all the midwives) and their dog tutted at me about. Seeing as I got to a cup size J during pregnancy I needed underwiring if I wanted to even walk along the street in any comfort. I couldn't find a nursing bra which *had* underwiring. Mammograms clear so far ....
Thank you so much for fighting medical misinformation misogyny for us, Jen.
I always wonder why people would want to push these narratives-what’s in it for them? Is there an actual underlying motive to do good, or is this just that sensationalism gets views? Seems more like the latter 99.9% of the time.
Wow! Makes me happy i don‘t have that crap in my feed…