By: Ruth Serwaa Asare
Public Health Physician Specialist and Breast Cancer Advocate at the 37 Military Hospital, Dr. Ewuradjoa Ahimah Nunoo, has urged women to prioritize regular breast screening rather than relying on myths surrounding the wearing of brassieres and breast cancer.
Speaking on GTV’s Breakfast Show, Dr. Nunoo addressed misconceptions linking brassieres to breast cancer, emphasizing that there is no scientific evidence to support such claims.
She said the so called “brassiere effect” a theory that wearing tight bras blocks the lymphatic system and traps toxins leading to breast cancer was purely a myth.
“That’s a message that says that when you wear a bra when it’s tight it blocks the lymphatic system of the breast. It traps toxins and then can cause breast cancer. Also, it’s a myth. It was derived in a book. It started from a book called Dressed to Kill in 1955 by a man named Sidney Ross and then it just went viral. You know, it spread through social media,” she said.
Dr. Nunoo revealed that research conducted by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute found no correlation between wearing bras and breast cancer.
“They compared two groups of women where one particular group were wearing no bras, then another group that wears bras, and they checked to see whether there’s any significant difference in relation to having breast cancer. There’s no linkage whatsoever to wearing a bra, no matter how tight it may be. It’s not linked to breast cancer in any way,” she explained.
While tight bras may cause physical discomfort and posture problems, Dr. Nunoo stressed that they are not a cancer risk factor. “Wearing a tight bra has its own challenges that we’ll discuss a bit later, but it’s not linked to breast cancer particularly,” she clarified.
According to her, the myth has influenced women’s decisions in harmful ways, leading some to avoid wearing bras or even skipping medical screenings. “Because they are scared that if I wear a tight bra, I may get breast cancer, some may not even wear a bra at all and think that, okay, since I’m not wearing a tight bra, I don’t need to go for any screening. And that can affect one’s screening practices,” she said.
She urged women to always get examined, regardless of what they wear. “Go get checked. Regardless of whether you wear a bra or not, whether you think your bra is tight or not, please, every woman should screen for breast cancer,” she advised.
She encouraged men to also examine their breasts regularly, saying: “It’s the same examination process. It doesn’t change anything. So guys, get on the train as well. Every morning, examine your boobies,” she said humorously.
