In The Minaret’s Oct. 9 issue celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness month, a portion of the coverage included a “Breast Cancer Awareness Guide.” The material quoted and used in the section was taken from the McClatchy-Tribune service which supplies both college and national news services with wire stories and content. A portion of the guide questioned whether or not it is true that wearing underwire bras can lead to breast cancer. The guide concluded that there was no link to the two, quoting Dr. Victoria Seewaldt, director of the breast cancer prevention program at Duke University, and Dr. Virginia Kaklamani, assistant professor of oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. In response to this claim, Dr. Sydney Singer, a medical anthropologist, contacted The Minaret to report that there is a link to bras and breast cancer. The Minaret followed up with Singer’s report and has decided to provide the information to our readers.
According to Dr. Sydney Singer, there is a link between bras and breast cancer and he suggests that more research need to be done.
However, the American Cancer Society continues to refute Singer’s claim.
Singer wrote Dressed to Kill, a book which focuses on the claim that bras have a significant link to breast cancer because of the way they constrict fluid flow within the breasts.
“Basically we are impairing our circulation of blood flow,” Singer said.
Blood flow helps replenish the body of oxygen and removes carbon dioxide from the system.
Impairing the circulation of the lymphatic system is also detrimental to the immune system and the body’s natural healing capabilities.
The lymphatic system is responsible for the flow of lymph throughout the body.
This fluid helps remove cancer cells, bacteria and other toxins which cause disease.
If the flow of both blood and lymph is constricted within the breasts, this will cause the buildup of toxins.
One thing to keep in mind with both of these systems, according to Singer, is that the heart physically pumps the blood throughout the body, whereas the lymph flows through the body not by a pump but by natural body movement such as breathing, walking, exercise and massage.
Bras constrict this flow, and the sole-purpose, according to Singer, is to change the shape of the breast to be more fashionable in what he called our “breast-binding culture.”
He believes this culture of breast obsession forces women to wear bras when the bra is doing more hurt than help.
The toxins that build up in the breasts as a result of this constriction are free radicals, which are known to cause cancer.
Other toxins that can build up come from air, food and water. When we eat and drink we intake pesticides, herbicides and other metals that can be found in our food.
Singer does not deny that a person’s diet may help prevent the buildup of some of these toxins, but a regular diet may cause toxins to build up in the breast.
Because of constriction the bra may cause cysts.
He also mentioned that no article of clothing should be worn tight. That includes belts, pants and underwear.
“We’re creating sick breasts,” Singer said.
Singer claims that if a woman discontinued the use of their bra after cysts were discovered, the cysts would decrease in size and go away.
Singer believes the bra is also a major cause of breast cancer because there is more prevalence of breast cancer in women than in men.
The bra is also the tightest piece clothing and the breast is where cancer is found the most.
Studies showing the correlation between bras and breast cancer have been performed but according to Singer they have been ignored and suppressed by the undergarment industry.
Even the publishers of Dressed to Kill, Avery Publishers were threatened with a lawsuit by the Intimate Apparel Council according to an article Singer wrote featured on breastnotes.com.
Other examples of suppression were seen as the NBC news show Dateline found interest in the story after Singer published his book in 1995. The show was cut unexpectedly.
Outside of the U.S., The British Fashion Council opposes the claims made by Singer.
In his book, one study he includes called, the Fijian Study, surveyed the population on one of the islands which had a western owned resort where the female employees had to wear bras.
The study compared the women that worked at the resort to the women that did not work at the resort and did not wear bras.
Both groups of women lived in the same villages, ate the same food and drank the same water.
The study concluded that breast cancer was higher in the women who were employed by the western resort than the women who did not work at the resort.
Ken Smith, an American Cancer Society Breast Health Facilitator, read Singers work and has since tried to spread the word on bras and breast cancer.
After receiving his Master’s Degree in Industrial Education, Smith taught health in the same high school for 35 years. His involvement with breast cancer sparked when his wife was diagnosed with the disease.
Since then, as a Breast Health facilitator with ACS, he has lectured to corporations about breast health, self-exams and cancer support.
He also manages breastnotes.com, a site that has information about breast cancer.
Smith, like Singer also believes more research needs to be done.
“No one has to believe him [Singer],” Smith said. “But there is every reason to do further research.”
Smith believes no one will do further research because of the financial and bureaucratic undergarment business, citing that many hospitals and breast cancer research centers are supported by undergarment sales profit.
“That’s a shame especially when we are watching so many people die from breast cancer,” Smith said. “The people [undergarment industry] that hear about it [bra to breast cancer link] are scared to death.”
The question is what women can do now.
Singer says that women should examine the reason why they are wearing a bra.
He said that there is a problem if the woman feels uncomfortable being naked.
He also suggests that women never wear a bra to bed.
If women still feel the need to wear a bra he said that they should at least loosen the garment and only wear it when they absolutely need to.
Six University of Tampa female students were asked for their opinions on the matter.
Aubrey Alden thought the claim of bras causing breast cancer was ridiculous.
“Do jeans that are too tight give you cancer?,” she questioned. “What about shoes that are too tight? No.”
Ashley Stansbury also said it sounded ridiculous.
“It’s hard to think that someone who wears a bra that’s too tight could cause an internal disease,” she said.
Erin Burke thought the claim was “completely false,” while Chrissy Benton said she didn’t believe it.
Another student, Amanda Gustafson, said she’d never heard of the claim before, but now that she had, found it hard to believe true.
“I’m sure women have been wearing bras and corsets and all that stuff for ages,” she said.
“So unless there is specific science proving that constriction of your boobs is a cause of cancer then I don’t feel like it’s a reasonable claim.”
However, one student, Ali Callahan, didn’t completely dispute the claim.
“I never really thought about it,” she said.
“But I’m guessing there is a possibility that it could cause breast cancer.”
When asked if the students thought bras could be a contributing factor to breast cancer, four of the six replied no.
Callahan and Benton saw the possibility.
“I think it could be a contributing factor on top of many other things,” said Benton. “But not a cause of breast cancer.”
Asked if they would wear bras less often if they were told bras caused breast cancer, some girls said they’d need specific proof while others simply said no.
“It would depend on whether they have me solid proof that they did,” said Alden. “ If it was just someone saying that they heard about it, then no.”
Callahan agreed.
“I wouldn’t because now-a-days people believe that pretty much everything causes cancer,” she said. “If there was a 90 percent guarantee that girls that wear bras get cancer, then I would definitely consider it.”
Stansbury said she likely wouldn’t wear a bra less often if someone told her.
“Probably not,” she said. “Because a lot of things cause cancer and I still do them.”