By: Ashmar Mandou

With countless information about breast cancer circling the internet, it can be hard to make out fact from fiction. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month we enlisted the help of Advocate Health Care’s #StoriesOfTheGirls to debunk some of the myths about breast cancer out there, today.

Myth: You can prevent breast cancer.
Fact: Sure, you can keep tabs on your risk factors and make healthy lifestyle decisions, like exercising and eating right. But, there is no foolproof way to prevent breast cancer. It often occurs by chance and can happen to anyone. About 60 to 70 percent of women with breast cancer have no known risk factors. The good news? Early detection, followed by prompt treatment offers you the best chance to beat the disease. So stand up to breast cancer by staying on top of your breast health and making your girls a top priority.

Myth: If you don’t have breast cancer in your family, you won’t get it.
Fact: This is not true. About 80 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a relative with breast cancer. Of course, if your mom, sister, aunt or grandmother (don’t forget about the women on your dad’s side, too) has had breast cancer, you have a higher risk of developing it compared to women who don’t have any family history.

Myth: A monthly breast self-exam is the best way to diagnose breast cancer.
Fact: While many women have discovered cancerous lumps during a self-exam, most experts agree that a self-exam in combination with your annual gynecological exam and an annual mammogram, collectively, are the best ways to diagnose breast cancer. Breast self-exams are particularly helpful in your teens, 20s, and 30s, before you begin annual mammograms.

Myth: Breast cancer always shows up as a lump.
Fact: Even though lumps are the most common sign of breast cancer, they are not the only sign. If you find a lump during a monthly breast self-exam, don’t ignore it. Let your physician know as soon as possible.

Myth: If you get breast cancer, you’re going to die.
Fact: Thanks to major advances in leading-edge medical technology, most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not die from it. Women with breast cancer are living longer today than they did decades ago. In fact, since 1991, breast cancer deaths have declined by 30 percent. Breast cancer is highly curable for women who are diagnosed early. That is why being proactive by performing self-exams and living the healthiest lifestyle are so important.