Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Can hitting or pressing the breasts cause cancer?

Breast cancer is usually curable when detected and treated early. Yet in the Philippines, it remains the most common type of cancer among women.

According to Ulat Lila 2025, an annual report by the Center for Women’s Resources, the Philippines has the highest number of recorded deaths due to breast cancer in Asia. This is because the majority or 65% of breast cancer cases in the country are only diagnosed at an advanced stage, where the survival rate drops to 44.4% 

The Philippine Cancer Society has also said that up to 80% of breast cancer patients in the country have accessibility issues. 

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, GMA News Online sat down with Dr. Norman San Agustin, oncologist and president and CEO of the Asian Breast Center, to debunk common misconceptions about the causes of breast cancer.

Breast trauma

Is it possible to develop breast cancer just by hitting or pressing your breasts? The short answer is no.

“Otherwise, you would think athletes, particularly boxers who often get hit in the chest, would have the highest incidence of breast cancer in the world, but they don’t,” San Agustin said.

“What causes breast cancer is strictly in the hormones, so that’s the big misconception that I want to correct, and I want women to understand that." 

According to the oncologist, women’s “best friends” are the female hormones called estrogen and progesterone, but these are also “their number one enemies.”

“Overexposure to estrogen and progesterone will lead to a higher risk of breast cancer,” San Agustin said.

The Cleveland Clinic describes estrogen as a female sex hormone vital for maintaining sexual and reproductive health, while progesterone “supports menstruation and helps maintain the early stages of pregnancy.”

While the exact cause of breast cancer remains unknown, the Mayo Clinic affirmed San Agustin’s statement that among the risks of developing it is due to hormones, particularly among women who:

• Started menstruating before 12
• Entered menopause after 55
• Gave birth after 30
• Never became pregnant

Aside from the factors mentioned above, family history of breast cancer is also a major contributing factor.  

Bras, deodorants, and creams

Another misconception San Agustin wanted to address is the belief that bras with underwires or topical underarm products, such as deodorants and creams, cause cancer.

“Using certain types of deodorant and creams, unless there are hormones in it, is a big, big fallacy,” he said.

“It’s not about getting breast trauma [by hitting or pressing it], it’s not the bra that you’re wearing or do not wear, it’s strictly in the hormones." 

In a previous GMA News Online report, breast surgeon Dr. Alodee Mejia also emphasized that bras “have no direct impact on the health of women’s breasts” and are primarily for support.

Breast implants

As for breast implants, San Agustin clarified that these do not cause cancer either.

“What it causes is difficulty in detecting early cancer because you're putting a film of shield in the breast issue,” he said. “It masks the zones in the breast tissue where breast cancer can be detected, it makes mammograms very difficult and inaccurate. 

San Agustin said he is not against breast implants, but he encourages women to consider natural methods if they want to increase their breast size.

“What makes the breast bigger? One of them is fat, another is muscle. All you have to do is do those push-ups,” he said.

Early detection is key

San Agustin also reiterated that while breast cancer is curable until Stage 3, this is only possible when detected early.

Women are encouraged to perform regular self-breast exams using the three middle fingers to feel the sides of the breast for any lumps.  

It should be done both standing and lying down, ideally during the mid-cycle phase. This means the woman should not be menstruating, and not in the fertile stage.

For women in their 40s, annual breast cancer screenings are generally recommended.

To help reduce the risk of breast cancer, it is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle by keeping a healthy weight, limiting junk food, alcohol, and stress, and again, performing regular self-checks.

In June 2024, PhilHealth began offering free breast cancer screening services, including ultrasound and mammogram tests, under its Konsulta package.

Those who wish to avail themselves of the PhilHealth Konsulta Package may register with their preferred PhilHealth Konsulta Provider.

For more health and wellness tips and educational reads, subscribe to GMA News Online's weekly newsletter, The Boost, and make sure to confirm your email.

—CDC, GMA Integrated News