Last Updated on April 13, 2023 by Neelam Singh
Quick Take
In a video on social media, a self-proclaimed health expert claims underwire bras cause breast cancer. We fact-checked and found the claim to be Mostly False. The existing research is not enough to confirm whether underwire bras cause breast cancer.
The Claim
In a YouTube video titled ‘Cancer Causes and Treatment’ the speaker Barbara O’Neill, claims that wearing underwire bras can increase the risk of breast cancer. At the timestamp 54:24, she claimed that ‘underwire bras are dangerous because breast tissue is lymphatic tissue and it clears into the nodes under the arm and there’s a very effective gate there that stops that cleaning process.’
Fact Check
What is an underwire bra?
An underwire bra is a brassiere with a thin strip of rigid material fitted in the lower side of the fabric. This help lift, separate, and shape a woman’s breasts. This rigid material is mostly a wire made of metal, plastic, or resin.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a disease in which some healthy cells convert into cancer cells and multiply profusely to affect the organ completely. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website has provided a list of risk factors that increases the chance of breast cancer. These include getting older, having genetic mutations, reproductive history, having dense breasts, family history of breast diseases, previous treatment using radiation therapy, exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES), not being physically active, being overweight, having obesity after menopause, taking hormones, reproductive history, and drinking alcohol.
Do underwire bras cause breast cancer?
No evidence confirms underwire bras cause breast cancer. Cancer is caused by abnormal changes in DNA and not because of factors other than age, heredity, etc. Published evidence shows that there exists no reliable scientific evidence to prove an underwire bra can increase the risk of breast cancer by inducing disease-causing changes in cells. The websites of the Canadian Cancer Society, Australian Cancer Council, and American Cancer Society have shown that proponents believe underwire bras cause breast cancer because they can obstruct lymph flow. This same reason has been given by Barbara O’Neill in the claimed video. However, we found no scientific evidence that can support this theory.
Dr Kavitha Jain, Consultant Surgical Oncologist at Rangadore Memorial Hopsital informs that ‘Bras, in general and underwire bras, in particular, have been claimed to cause breast cancer by restricting lymph flow. However, it is a false notion. There is no evidence that any obstruction of lymph flow happens due to bras. Also, the direction of lymph flow is towards the armpits and not downwards. Similarly, there is no sufficient evidence that going braless will help reduce the risk of breast cancer.’
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