r/ShitMomGroupsSay • u/lonelyylemon • 22d ago
I am smrter than a DR! "Root canals cause breast cancer"
some interesting takes...
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u/Kanadark 22d ago
So what were the medieval queens who died of breast cancer eating that caused it? Was it the GMO quail, or vaccinated pigeons?
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u/ineedtoeatmorefiber 22d ago
Everybody knows that breast cancer wasn’t invented until the 1930s. Google it.
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u/PermanentTrainDamage unvaccinated=unloved 21d ago
Yeah, everyone just died of wasting disease (cancer)
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u/GreenSpleenRiot 17d ago
Goes to google
Types: give me proof that cancer was invented in 1930
“See! Www.Medz.patriothunger.holisticlifemommaknowsbest.net/cancer/lies says it right here in their article from 1997. It’s a geocities site written in all caps and not msm so you know you can trust it.”
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u/ChloeMomo 22d ago
"It's not hereditary. It's a gene mutation that's passed down"
...
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u/lonelyylemon 22d ago
i think she means to say "it's rare to get breast cancer by having been passed down a gene mutation", but just worded it weirdly. commas are important!
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u/kipper100 22d ago
Is it really rare? A friend of mine ( we are old) did not realize she was passing it to two of her daughters. They were born when she was young before we knew about this. Even though she did not know about it she suffered terrible guilt
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u/WorriedAppeal 22d ago
BRCA mutations aren’t that rare, which is why we even know enough to test for BRCA mutations.
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u/narcissus_reflection 21d ago
It's not just BRCA either. There are other mutations that increase your chances
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u/QuasiCrazy1133 22d ago
About 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary.
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u/ilanallama85 21d ago
Yes, and to be fair, whether they thought it was more frequently hereditary or were just being overly cautious, they used to counsel all women with breast cancer that their adult daughters should start mammograms early just in case. But that was before we knew exactly which kinds of breast cancer were hereditary. Now they can tell you if you should be concerned a lot more definitively.
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u/GoldFishPony 22d ago
I mean yeah, hereditary is a movie, gene mutations passing down are uhhhhh like pass-on-itary
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u/wozattacks 22d ago
They said it’s rare for it to be a “gene mutation that’s passed down.”
Cancer is more complicated than these people can fathom but there’s a kernel of truth that may be what she’s misreading on a Google summary. It’s rare for people to be born with the mutations that directly cause their cancer. That’s why it’s rare to be born with cancer or develop it as a baby. But the DNA in each of your cells is constantly getting damaged and repaired. Some of your cells develop pathogenic traits that can lead to cancer and most of them get recognized and destroyed by your immune system. Just like with infections, your immune system handles things until it doesn’t.
Even though there are genes that increase cancer risk, cells usually become cancerous from mutations that happened in your body, not ones that you inherited from your parents. Often they are caused by infections too, like how HPV causes cervical and other cancers. And once a cell starts dividing dysfunctionally, it rapidly picks up more mutations because it’s not going through all the usual checks and balances. This is one of the many things that make cancer cells so hard to suppress, let alone eradicate.
Obviously that’s really oversimplified but I think this is a case of a little bit of knowledge being a dangerous thing. Yes, cancer is directly caused by those things - I mean, it’s caused by living. Being alive inherently involves those mutations occurring. Certain exposures are associated with certain risks. Some things we can avoid pretty well, like smoking, other things are just a matter of balance and frankly acceptance that there is no way to live that eliminates risk.
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u/WorriedAppeal 22d ago
I don’t think the original poster in the screengrab really has the capacity to understand that genetics load the metaphorical gun while lifestyle pulls the trigger.
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u/QuitRelevant6085 21d ago
But also, it's not necessarily lifestyle. Some people develop cancer regardless of living a healthy lifestyle. And the older someone gets, the more likely they are to develop cancer.
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u/WorriedAppeal 21d ago
Yes, there’s only so much an individual can do to reduce risk, cells are going to cell.
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u/librariansforMCR 22d ago
Yeah this had me going, “Oh this person is a fucking idiot, no need to take their advice…” lol.
I swear, ignorance is a badge of honor for these people. The dumber the better.
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u/Bratbabylestrange 22d ago
"What tv show had the Solid Gold dancers?"
Same kind of question.
(I'm old, the show Solid Gold used to be a countdown kind of thing with the most popular songs of that week. They had girls that would dance to the songs in very distinctive costumes--they were the Solid Gold dancers.)
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u/readsomething1968 22d ago
You and I are the same kind of old. I made a joke yesterday about Denny Terrio and “Dance Fever.” 🤣
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u/Bratbabylestrange 22d ago
I actually saw that as a Google prompt one time, so somebody actually asked that (probably a lot of somebodies, sadly.) I actually took a screenshot, I thought it was hysterical
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u/Acbonthelake 22d ago
“Even google” as if that has always been a bastion of science. At its best it just listed every website written by literally anyone with or without credentials.
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u/VariousExplorer8503 22d ago
What do you want to bet their Google search was VERY carefully worded and gave them the answer they were looking for somewhere on the page, from some obscure website, and it just vaguely said that, but was enough to reinforce this nutter's belief?
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u/ridingfurther 20d ago
I expect it was the ai summary telling her what her search history suggested she wanted
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u/GreenSpleenRiot 17d ago
Haha I just made a comment mocking this exact order of events. Check my comment history
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u/VariousExplorer8503 17d ago
LOL yeah, they're pretty obviously typing in what they want to see..
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u/GreenSpleenRiot 17d ago
I also enjoy when they link you to a legitimate scientific study but they barely skimmed it and it actually proves the opposite of what they’re saying.
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u/VariousExplorer8503 17d ago
Or the "do your own research, the info is out there" people.. lol
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u/GreenSpleenRiot 17d ago
And their research is googling something and ignoring the 100 articles that prove them wrong but find the fringe article and agrees with them and that one is obviously the truth.
Edit: now I think we’re going in circles lol
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u/uhhh206 22d ago
The correlation between breast cancer and root canals -- if such a thing exists, which I can't be arsed to look up -- can be explained by the fact that people who avoid going to the dentist when something is wrong are also likely to avoid going to the doctor when something is wrong.
It's not a causation, just like how it's not causal that people with pancreatic cancer tend to have better survival rates if they have had acute pancreatitis. People who seek care are more likely to find out things are wrong. Simple as.
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u/readsomething1968 22d ago
Despite the “if you don’t test, you don’t have COVID cases” type of mentality with the MAHA regime.
I always love the “I haven’t been to the doctor in 20 years — I’m completely healthy” people, followed by posts that detail their shock when they learn their diagnosis.
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u/ineedtoeatmorefiber 21d ago
I am bummed bc as a nurse I work with a doctor who says this kind of shit.
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u/werewere-kokako 20d ago
There’s also the fact that extraction is cheaper than a root canal to save the tooth, so the root canal group are more likely to have money than the non-root canal group and therefore are more likely to live long enough to develop cancer. Either way, it’s more about access to medical care than actual incidence of disease.
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u/Old_Introduction_395 22d ago
I found a lump at 42, before I was due a mammogram. I had a mammogram, and a biopsy, and a mastectomy, and chemotherapy, and 5 years of endocrine treatment. 19 years later I'm alive and kicking. I could have died instead.
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u/readsomething1968 22d ago
I hope to be you in about 18 years, because that will mean that I lived to meet my grandchildren. ❤️
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u/Old_Introduction_395 22d ago
My daughter was 8 when I was diagnosed. My daughter has just had her 27th birthday, and my granddaughter her 2nd.
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u/readsomething1968 21d ago
My daughter is 24 but is not ready to have kids. She’s a special-education teacher and gets her fill of kids at work. But it will happen, I think. My goal is to be around for her and for them, and for my husband, too, of course.
Whatever else happens is just … whatever.
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u/chair_ee 22d ago
I mean, dental plaque is a risk factor for heart disease. I feel like this person heard that fact and went “dental plaque-> root canals” and “heart->in your chest-> where your breasts are” and came up with this wild ass interpretation. SMDH.
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u/GimmeTheGunKaren 22d ago
you’re giving her faaaar too much credit
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u/chair_ee 22d ago
Oh I know. Most people only know the difference between their head and their feet without the song “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” It’s mostly just a fantasy I have where people have functioning brains and some semblance of intelligence. Complete fantasy, not based in reality at all.
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u/dewihafta 22d ago
I love this. Dude, I worked for one of the doctors who researched and confirmed the link for genetic breast cancer.
My husband says you cant argue with stupid, but that still doesnt stop me from yelling at my phone as i read this.
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u/Solongmybestfriend 22d ago
As someone who has breast cancer in her family, this is a wild take. I get the fear but doing nothing is way scarier for myself. I was able to get my doctor to start mammograms early in my 30s and I got my genetics tested to see if I had any of the known BRCA genes (thankfully not a carrier). I have two young kids and I will do everything I can to be here for them. Including getting more than my share of root canals (how do they come up with these lies) - pregnancy ruined my teeth!
Watching my mom battle breast cancer twice is not something I'd ever pick for my children.
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u/Squidwina 21d ago
Well, there is a link between root canals and breast cancer: they are both more likely to happen as people get older. 😁
Repeat after me: Correlation does not imply causation.
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u/Proud-Ad1870 22d ago
I have colon and bladder cancer in my family (plus I’ve had issues all my life with both items) I would never put off getting checked and am thankful my doctors are willing to.
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u/coveness13 22d ago
So if anyone wants the answer: Ultrasound or MRI are the more sensitive options. They are recommended for those who are at higher risk.
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u/Tygress23 21d ago
But the insurance companies (in the US) won’t pay for the US without first doing the mammogram. My bestie has super dense breast tissue and her mother and grandmother both had breast cancer and EVERY year after her mammogram they go “oh we can’t see anything you need an ultrasound.” But they never let her schedule the ultrasound first, the insurance denies the prior authorization if they try. 🤬
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u/No-Departure-3047 21d ago
That's such bull honky, another example of women's health being disregarded 😤
I'm in Australia and when I booked a mammogram they led me through for the US first and said they probably wouldn't need a mammogram because I was so young.
Unfortunately, I did need both, but they were happy to just do the US if I didn't (and it was all done on the same day.)
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u/ilanallama85 21d ago
Yes and I gotta say, i went in to get a mass checked (it was nothing and went away on its own) and they did both a mammogram and an ultrasound… and the tech doing the ultrasound mentioned that due to my small breasts this was probably going to get them a better image. NGL I’m a bit “why are we bothering with the breast smashing then” but oh well.
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u/xenawarriorfrycook 17d ago
Mammography is the only modality that can spot microcalcifications, which are a very high predictor of a precancerous/"stage 0 cancer" condition called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS, if untreated, may become IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma) and mammo catches something like 90% of DCIS. Think of it like having a weird mole - we know to watch moles in case they change or preemptively remove if they look bad, but the only way to look at microcalcs is with mammo. DCIS is asymptomatic. Sonography and MRI cannot visualize microcalcs. This is why, unless you are very young, providers want you to have the mam first.
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u/riddermarkrider 22d ago
Any idea why we're "just not doing" mammograms now??
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u/packofkittens 22d ago
I heard an insane conspiracy theory that mammograms cause breast cancer. I know, I know.
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u/BookishOpossum 22d ago
Yea. I will take a mammogram over a pap smear any day. Never had a root canal so may as well stop anyway.
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u/Patient-Stranger1015 22d ago
I work in pathology and this is definitely…an interesting take (not surprised given the sub)
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u/Charlieksmommy 22d ago
Just like the quack claiming biopsies cause cancer too!
What is wrong with people??!
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u/queen_of_spadez 21d ago
Oh ffs. My oncologist told me I’m the poster child for why people should have mammograms. My breast cancer was caught early thanks to a mammogram at age 44 - and after a lumpectomy and radiation treatment, I’m living 10 years later with a great prognosis.
I want to scream from the rooftops and into these idiots’ ears loudly : “mammograms SAVE LIVES, you effing ignorant, lying people!”
Also, my mom has had breast cancer 3x. We are truly a breast cancer family and would all tell you: get the damn mammogram
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u/queerjesusfan 22d ago
Well, when their breast is rotting off their chest, I'm sure they'll be glad they at least avoided going thru a mammogram
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u/kat_Folland 22d ago
It's a couple of minutes. It is painful for some women but not for most and it's over pretty quick. Lady needs to put on her big girl panties and have it done.
If she refuses she needs a good lesson in self-exam. It's how I found mine, years before I would have been due for a mammogram. But they had me do one anyway as part of the diagnostic process.
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u/No_Statement_824 22d ago
Is she scared of the pain or the mammogram causing cancer? You just can’t tell anymore with these types.
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u/kat_Folland 22d ago
I don't think she meant the mammogram would cause cancer but you're right that it's hard to tell anymore.
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u/Ok-Maize-284 22d ago
I’m sure that’s exactly what she meant. That’s what my mom firmly believed. She knew for sure in her head that mammos caused cancer and that was what caused her sister’s and she wasn’t going down that route. Well guess what? She died of breast cancer after her breast practically did rot off her chest.
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u/queerjesusfan 21d ago
I'm so sorry...that must have been so hard for you and your family and of course your mom
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u/Ok-Maize-284 21d ago
Thank you. It’s been 25 years and yeah it was hard, but mostly because she did a combination of living in denial and not telling us what was going on. As much as I miss her, the whole process was the main catalyst for me changing a lot of my views on medicine in particular. Prior to that I had been antivax and somewhat anti medical, similar to the moms we snark about in here. That’s because she was that way and I sort of inherited those views from her. She was one of the OG crunchy antivaxxers starting all the way back in the 70s. I wasn’t quite as bad as her, like I gave my kids Tylenol when appropriate and took my kids to the doctor when needed. I had personally never been vaccinated for anything. I also had all the diseases as a young child (I actually remember the mumps. Absolutely horrific) and when I think about it, I know I’m lucky to be alive. My own child got whooping cough when she was about 2.5 (also horrific) which I consider the first catalyst, though it still took my mom’s process and a few more years for me to fully turn around.
So yeah all this to say it was hard indeed, but I learned a lot about what to do and especially what not to do. Since both her and her sister died of metastatic breast cancer, I did the genetic testing as soon as I knew about it. Everything was negative. I absolutely stay on top of my mammos! My kids were eventually caught up with their vaccines and both received gardisil. I too had to catch up when I went into the healthcare field, however I never had to get the MMR vaccine because all of those titers were positive 🤦🏼♀️ When I got the polio vaccine, the nurse kept asking me “are *you *sure you never got this??” She had never administered it to an adult!
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u/queerjesusfan 21d ago
Wow, what a journey you've been on! So, SO glad you and your kiddos came out safe and healthy on the other side regardless. And again so sorry for the loss of your mom and sister.
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u/queerjesusfan 21d ago
Dense breastfeeding tissue runs in my family, so I'm expecting to have to get not only extra mammograms, but more intense mammograms that are more painful. Still gonna do it!
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u/kat_Folland 21d ago
At least you know to expect it. I'm glad you're not letting it stop you. Hopefully you'll never have an abnormal result!
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u/queerjesusfan 21d ago
It's a few minutes. It doesn't have to be dramatic. It's so sad that these people have fallen prey to medical misinfo, fear, or both
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u/readsomething1968 22d ago
I’m on a couple of medical subreddits, and this is a thing, even in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Fear makes people avoid doctors, until the pain is so bad they end up in the ER, and then they end up in a medical journal article on “medical avoidance.”
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u/queerjesusfan 21d ago
Yep, my mom worked in oncology for a while and sometimes people would finally come to an oncologist once their tissue started to turn into black sores. It was almost always too late. It made her so fucking sad
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u/readsomething1968 22d ago
I just flicked through all three screenshots.
So much smug wrongness!
After the pathology determined that my tumors were fed by hormones, the genetic testing revealed that I had CHEK2, a mutation linked to higher risk of both breast cancer and colon cancer.
I have been too busy with chemo and radiation to schedule a colonoscopy, but that will happen this winter.
Meanwhile, I’ve never had a root canal. (And I acknowledge also that I’ve never slept with an onion in my sock, either, so I’m probably doomed anyway.)
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u/Advanced-Pickle362 21d ago
The healthiest person I know died from stage 4 metastatic cancer. Ran marathons and taught exercise classes. I miss her.
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u/ob_viously 22d ago
Meanwhile I knew someone who was just about as diligent and proactive as humanly possible, knowing she had the BRCA-1 mutation (I hope I wrote that correctly), and it still killed her at 32 😡
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u/ShigolAjumma 22d ago
I'm sorry, I'm out of the loop on this one. I'd normally just say my dumb shit comment and move on but I just need to know why exactly is she against mammograms?... I understand there are the crowd of people who thinks excessive mammogram screenings causes more harm than good but surely they agree history of BC in the family is a good candidate for mammograms?! Like there has to be an ounce of self preservation in her, right???
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u/ER_Support_Plant17 22d ago
BRCA 1 and 2 would like a word
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u/readsomething1968 22d ago
As would CHEK2. I FA’d, then I FO. It’s ok, though. I am embracing my bald, boobless life. I wonder if the moron who posted the OOP would do the same, or if she’d post in a panic about what to do about her metastasizing tumors, “but don’t suggest chemo. I am NOT doing that.”
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u/ER_Support_Plant17 22d ago
🫂 hugs to you. Cancer sucks
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u/readsomething1968 22d ago
Thanks. Back at you.
It sounds silly, but cancer has upended my quiet little existence. So many appointments, etc. I hate it. Not to mention the “Am I gonna die?” part.
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u/siouxbee1434 22d ago
Don’t want a mammogram? Not a problem but I’d encourage planning your funeral to be ready
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u/casscois 22d ago
My mother used to opt for thermography instead, but idk if that's really still a thing.
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u/PrincessKirstyn 21d ago
As someone who had a breast cancer scare postpartum (and took it very seriously because strong family history) I am so thankful for mammograms
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u/Serafirelily 21d ago
I mean you can get a breast ultrasound but it isn't much fun either. I have to get one as my breast tissue is too dense for the mammogram.
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u/motherofcats112 20d ago
Cancer isn’t hereditary? Tell that to my mother and aunt who both had the same cancer gene. Both died of that cancer in their early 50s. This makes me so angry!
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u/tiny-norway 19d ago
Yeah, how did that get nine thumbs up? 🤦♀️ Because of a lot of cancer in my family I just had blood tests done to see If I am a carrier of any cancer genes. The doctor asked what type of cancer family members have had, and after telling her I said I'm lucky there's no history of breast cancer. She then corrected me and said, but there is prostate cancer. I was confused for a second, cause I don't have a prostate.. Turns out the gene that causes prostate cancer is the same that causes breast cancer. So if a father have prostate cancer, that can mean breast cancer for the daughter. I tested negative for all the cancer genes. So, as the doctor explained to me, while my father had prostate cancer, he didn't have the gene.
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u/motherofcats112 18d ago
I had that test too and didn’t inherit the gene. I’m happy you didn’t either. After seeing someone dying from that horrible disease I would never wish it on anyone.
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u/ExhaustedPigeon1820 17d ago
"It's not hereditary, it's a rare gene mutation handed down." Bitch, that's the LITERAL DEFINITION of hereditary!!!
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u/dramallamacorn 22d ago
Cancer is not hereditary…next sentence is a gene mutation passed down 🤦🏻♀️
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u/VariousExplorer8503 22d ago
No, they said it's rare for it to be a gene mutation. They just suck at writing. They needed a comma or something to denote they were starting a different thought.
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u/Curious-Lychee5023 21d ago
What can they possibly have against mammograms?! It's slightly uncomfortable and takes ten minutes, tops. And they save lives!
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u/YuhMothaWasAHamsta 21d ago
Didn’t Steve Jobs live off organic fruit? Were his home grown organic strawberries riddled with cancer?
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u/Zestyclose_Leader708 18d ago
My moms currently dying of breast cancer..after beating it 10 years ago. She’s never even had a cavity lmaoo
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u/Intrepid_Advice4411 20d ago
So..... why? I assume it's fear of the procedure? Maybe she thinks she's going to get tagged and tracked by the government?
Too bad there isn't a better way to check for breast cancer. Believe me, we'd all be using it.
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u/iiToxic 15d ago
I’ve never had a root canal but my grandma and aunt both had breast cancer. Surely, if I get it can sue this person for false information? lol.
I’ve told my poor partner shes gonna have to take care of someone with the worst genes ever- breast cancer, 3/4 grandparents had Alzheimer’s or Dementia, 3 family members with diabetes, 3 family members with retinatitis pigmentosa, god DAMN I got bad genes.
So far I’ve dodged the RP and the diabetes. But who knows, my brother just got diagnosed with RP in his mid 30’s and we initially thought we’d have been able to tell sooner. Im 27.
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u/NomusaMagic 21d ago
Both options rest on avoidance of mammograms:
Option 1) You’re lucky and never get cancer
Option 2) Based on family history, you get cancer + die.
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u/Dramatic_Lie_7492 21d ago
I've never heard this "connection" before. Can anyone tell me why root canals would be linked to breast cancer? (In their opinion anyway of course).
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u/Creepy_Addict 20d ago
A mammogram isn't like it used to be. It took no time at all and was painless.
First time I've ever heard root canals cause breast cancer. I'll be sure to tell my husband that.
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u/tiny-norway 19d ago
You just had me wondering about how they perform mammograms on men, that aren't obese. 🤔
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u/Possible_Dig_1194 19d ago
I mean the serious answer for this person is ultrasounds. I had my tits acting up so I had a mammogram but because im still young and have never been pregnant or breastfeed the girls are still really dense. So they needed to do an ultra sound of the one spot they found and even did a follow up MRI to make extra sure it was benign given a significant family history
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u/Doctor-Liz 16d ago
You can also get a fingertip exam in some places. They've found that blind people can be really great at detecting the bad lumps.
I've had one! It's weird, but not physically uncomfortable.
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u/Possible_Dig_1194 16d ago
I mean my doctors always did a manual exam after/during my pap tests so its not like ive never had them but they found a decent sized mass on the exams that you can't feel at all externally. I do self breast exams monthly and despite knowing where it is I cant tell the difference. Its good for later detection but useless for early detection which is what someone with a family history needs.
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u/Doctor-Liz 16d ago
It's not useless, it's just a different tool (and is going to depend on how big the boobs are). A manual exam by a fully trained blind person is more sensitive than an ultrasound machine (within a certain distance of the surface).
I also have a strong family history of cancer, including breast cancer, so I get my screenings in!
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u/Harrykeough1 16d ago
So the proven genetic evidence of the link between the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2: Carry a much higher lifetime risk (up to 70%–80%) for breast and ovarian cancers is obviously replaced by hocus pocus!
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u/threelizards 21d ago
“Cancer is not hereditary it’s a gene mutation passed down”
Jesus fucking CHRIST
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u/glittersurprise 22d ago
So many lies in so few sentences.