Apparently binding too much can cause cancer

[4736251]

My dad sent me this link:
http://www.inquisitr.com/1202191/your-bra-may-be-killing-you-scientists-call-for-boycott-of-komen/

[Jessica Merriman]

Personally I feel boycotting the Komen Foundation and American Cancer Society is going too far. The ACS especially has made some discoveries in treatment that benefit all. More independent and professional studies have been done than the mere 5 listed in the article. You cannot eliminate all their work on one opinion. More medical professionals than not support both of these very fine groups and the work they have done. If you remember a few years ago the statement was made citing studies which showed male jockey shorts caused infertility. It has been proven false over and over. 

[Alexthecat]

Sounds like your dad just doesn't want you to bind. Plus people that bind usually get surgery so wouldn't that reduce the risk way lower than not binding?

[DreadLOX]

Binding for quite a few years over here and still healthy like a spring chicken lol

[Flan]

Wouldn't this be more a call to correct sizing than calling cancer research/awareness charities as bull->-bleeped-<-?

[aross1015]

Watch Pink Ribbons, Inc. if you want some insight into the dirty dealings of the big names in breast cancer awareness. 

[Kreuzfidel]

I seriously doubt it.

[Tysilio]

Sigh. Sydney Ross Singer is a just another pseudoscientific whack job with a knack for self-promotion. See this Wikipedia article for a summary of the problems with his "research."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dressed_to_Kill_%28book%29

I'll continue to bind, with no worries. I specifically asked my doctor (who is very knowledgeable about trans health issues) about any risks from binding, and she's fine with it -- all she said was "Just don't bind tightly if you have a cold, because it puts you at risk for pneumonia."

[Kiwi]

I asked to the Oncologist of my hospital when I started to bind, he said that binding doesn't increase at all the cancer risk.
He of course advised to bind only with proper binders (no tape, bandages...) not too tight, and never when sleeping or for too many hours but for other health problems (fluid in lungs, ribs etc.) nothing cancer related.

If you think of it, it's like when you sleep. Moobs get squashed for hours by your body weight against the mattress, in a proper binder they have much less pressure.

[CursedFireDean]

If you look hard enough almost everything 'causes cancer'

as others have said, many very reputable people disagree.

[blink]

If you look hard enough almost everything 'causes cancer'

This. "X causes cancer" is often overstatement/oversimplification, the reality is usually more like "X may contribute to/increase risk of cancer", which can be said of a number of things. Eating bacon can increase risk of cancer. Breathing poor-quality air can increase risk of cancer. Questions worth considering include how much X increases cancer risk, if X otherwise increases quality of life enough to be worth increased cancer risk, or if X is even reasonably avoidable.

[AJarrah]

It's 2014, everything causes cancer. Gotta die of something I guess. I'd rather do it with a flat chest, though.

[Hikari]

If it is restriction of the flow of fluid that causes increased risk, then a simple breast massage can move that fluid. None of what that article said even if totally true (which I doubt) would say so much that. Binding or tight bras cause cancer merely that if the fluid doesn't flow it increases risk.

[aleon515]

This is one more of those spurious correlations things. It would work like this: women get breast cancer; women wear tight bras, therefore wearing tight bras causes cancer. I'm not buying this anymore than I buy the Republicans get elected, there are sun spots when Republicans get elected, therefore Republican congresses cause sun spots. (BTW this correlation strangely exists, along with many other equally strange ones. There is a website dedicated to strange correlations.) The science in both cases is equally flawed.

This is junk science.

Your dad doesn't want you to bind and is trying to scare you. We have a motive.


--Jay

[Adam (birkin)]

Binding certainly comes with its risks, even when done safely, but I doubt cancer is one of them for reasons that other people have stated.

[Maleth]

It's 2014, everything causes cancer. Gotta die of something I guess. I'd rather do it with a flat chest, though.

Hah.. this.