Chantelle Soft Stretch Panties now $27 each or 3 for $65. Prices reflected at check out

Home | Our Lingerie Blog -- Underwear Matters | Do Underwire Bras Cause Cancer? Myth-Busting

Do Underwire Bras Cause Cancer? Myth-Busting

September 12 2019 – Nena Bill

The question as to whether underwire bras cause cancer is one that's been asked for years, but what's the answer? Does science say bras cause cancer?
The question as to whether underwire bras cause cancer is one that's been asked for years, but what's the answer? Does science say bras cause cancer?

Instead of introducing a product, today we want to talk about if underwire bras cause cancer. Obviously, any link to cancer is a critical piece of information and we want our clients to understand the facts.

Do Underwire Bras Cause Cancer?

The internet is an amazing place full of everything you would ever want to know and everything you’ve never even thought of. The bad thing about this, though, means it can be hard to sort the fact from the fiction. So do underwire bras cause cancer? What does science actually say?

The question as to whether underwire bras cause cancer is one that's been asked for years, but what's the answer? Does science say bras cause cancer?

According to BreastCancer.org, a nonprofit dedicated to providing quality information about breast cancer, there is a myth online that underwire bras or wearing a bra at night can cause cancer because of bras “blocking the drainage of lymph fluid from the bottom of the breast so it can’t get back into your body.”

What Does Science Say About Bras and Breast Cancer?

However, while this statement sounds scientific, there is actually no science behind it. There is no evidence that underwire bras or wearing a bra at night can cause cancer.

According to BreastCancer.org:

Underwire bras do not cause breast cancer. Only one scientific study has looked at the link between wearing a bra and breast cancer. There was no real difference in risk between women who wore a bra and women who didn’t wear a bra. Being overweight does increase breast cancer risk though, and women who are overweight are more likely to have larger breasts and wear a bra. Women who don’t wear bras are more likely to be at a healthy weight. This difference in weight is probably why this myth continues to circulate.

The Canadian Cancer Society also echoes this fact:

There is no reliable scientific evidence that shows a link between wearing an underwire bra – or any other kind of bra – and developing breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society is also clear about bras not causing cancer:

Internet and e-mail rumors and at least one book have suggested that bras cause breast cancer by obstructing lymph flow. There is no good 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.

In short, the idea that wearing any kind of bra at any time causing breast cancer is simply a persistent myth. You just can’t believe everything that comes across your Facebook feed.