Do underwire bras cause cancer?

At Secret Drawers Lingerie we are happy to answer any question you may have about our products, or about lingerie in general. And so, this is a question we are asked from time to time: Does wearing an underwire or tight-fitting bra increase my risk of cancer?

In short, the answer is no. This is one of the biggest myths surrounding breast cancer and certainly the biggest myth about bras; however, there is no evidence that wearing a bra with an underwire, or a tight-fitting bra increases the risk of breast cancer.

This myth took hold in 1995 with the book Dressed to Kill written by a husband and wife anthropology team. The authors claimed that bras inhibit lymphatic drainage, causing toxins to remain in the breast tissue, and this causes cancer.

As it turns out, almost no part of that idea is true and this statement has widely been debunked in the scientific community. The link between breast cancer and underwires was never scientific and was never published in any journal for peer review. In fact, there is specific evidence to the contrary.

So, what do we say? We say wear your lingerie with pride and ease and wear an underwire anytime you please. 

These women sporting Marie Jo Lingerie would agree. They show not only a gorgeous everyday, underwire look in baby blue (left), but they also show how fashionable and strong an underwire can be for sports (above).

If you have any other questions digging into your back or pinching at your shoulders, let us know in a comment or contact us any time.