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Our 24/7 cancer helpline provides support for people dealing with cancer. We can connect you with trained cancer information specialists who will answer questions about a cancer diagnosis and provide guidance and a compassionate ear.
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At our National Cancer Information Center trained Cancer Information Specialists can answer questions 24 hours a day, every day of the year to empower you with accurate, up-to-date information to help you make educated health decisions. We connect patients, caregivers, and family members with valuable services and resources.
Or ask us how you can get involved and support the fight against cancer. Some of the topics we can assist with include:
For medical questions, we encourage you to review our information with your doctor.
There are some factors that research has shown are not linked to breast cancer. You may see information online or hear about these disproven or controversial risk factors, but it's important to learn the facts.
For information on known and possible breast cancer risk factors, see:
Online and social media rumors have suggested that chemicals in underarm antiperspirants are absorbed through the skin, interfere with lymph circulation, and cause toxins to build up in the breast, eventually leading to breast cancer.
Based on the available evidence (including what we know about how the body works), there is little if any reason to believe that antiperspirants increase the risk of breast cancer. For more information, see Antiperspirants and Breast Cancer Risk.
Online and social media rumors and at least one book have suggested that bras cause breast cancer by obstructing lymph flow. There is no scientific or clinical basis for this claim, and a 2014 study of more than 1,500 women found no association between wearing a bra and breast cancer risk.
Several studies have provided very strong data that neither induced abortions nor spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) have an overall effect on the risk of breast cancer. For more detailed information, see Abortion and Breast Cancer Risk.
The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team
Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.
American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2019-2020. Atlanta, Ga: American Cancer Society; 2019.
Chen L, Malone KE, Li CI. Bra wearing not associated with breast cancer risk: A population-based case–control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2014;23(10):2181-2185.
Chlebowski RT. Factors that modify breast cancer risk in women. UpToDate. 2021. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/factors-that-modify-breast-cancer-risk-in-women on August 30, 2021.
Last Revised: December 16, 2021
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.