Preventing Breast Cancer, Could it Really Be so Simple?

Breast cancer is a huge concern for every woman. There are few of us who actually do not know someone who has been affected by breast cancer in one way or another. According to a publication released by the American Cancer Society, an estimated 40,460 women died from breast cancer in 2007, while an estimated total of 238,510 new cases were reported that same year. It is not only women who can be affected. About 2,030 cases occurred in men and approximately 450 men died from the disease.

So what if there was something simple that could be done that would have a significant influence on the number of women who suffered from breast cancer? Even if it seemed a bit far fetched when you first heard about it, would you try it on the off chance that it may work? It might seem like a long shot that one simple daily action may save you from the awful hardship of dealing with breast cancer, or from possibly loosing your life to it, but there are studies that give promising evidence that this may not be such a long shot.

So what is the magic answer: Stop wearing your bra. Sound silly? Well, as you read the rest of this article keep in mind the idea of cigarettes causing cancer was hugely criticized when it was first introduced, but due to research it is now a widely accepted truth.

Now many people say that the link between bras and breast cancer is simply a myth, but bras, especially ill fitting bras, have been found to have negative effects on breast health because they restrict lymph flow to the breast. It is estimated that more than 80% of women wear the wrong size bra.

Not only can bras reduce lymph flow to the breasts, which inhibits the way our bodies normally cleanses itself to get rid of cancer cells and toxins, but they also slightly increase the temperature of breast tissue. Women who wear bras also have higher levels of a hormone called prolactin. Both the increased temperature and higher prolactin levels may influence breast cancer formation.

Sydney Singer and his wife Soma Grismaijer were the first to conduct a comprehensive study on the connection between bras and breast cancer. In a study of 4,500 women across the U.S. and their bra wearing habits, the couple found some intriguing results which they published in a book entitled Dressed to Kill. Here is a brief summary of some of their findings:

* 3 out of 4 women who wore bras 24 hours a day developed breast cancer

* 1 out of seven women who wore bras more than twelve hours a day but not to bed developed breast cancer

* 1 out of 152 women who wore bras less than 12 hours a day got breast cancer

* 1 out of 168 who rarely wore bras almost never acquired breast cancer

While their research, and others like theirs, has not been widely accepted and has gained little or no response from a wide array of cancer institutions and organizations, this does not make their findings false. Many ideas in health care and in the scientific community as a whole are not widely accepted or are highly criticized when they are first introduced.

So here is the question to carefully consider: If there is truth to this deadly connection between what you wear on your bodies and your health and you ignore it, it could actually cost you your life. If you decide to change you habits a bit and then later this study is disproved, all you really lost was time wearing a bra. Which sounds less risky?