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BRAS - THE BARE FACTS Thursday, November 2, 10pm Background Briefing document Dispatches set out to explore the link between wearing a bra and breast pain - and the implications that has for other breast illnesses. It is estimated that 2 in 5 British women suffer from breast pain. It can be a debilitating illness - and there is no treatment. Some women who suffer from breast pain also have cysts. Other studies have examined the link between breast pain and breast cancer, but this requires further research in Britain. Dispatches asked 100 women who suffered from breast pain in Wales and Avon to go without a bra for three months. They were then asked to return to wearing a bra for a further three months and measure any differences in breast pain and cysts. The two medical experts who divided the experiment between their clinics are: ROBERT MANSEL - Professor of Surgery at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. He has studied breast pain for 25 years. SIMON CAWTHORN is a consultant surgeon at the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. He is a specialist in the area of breast treatment. On average, for pre-menopausal women, they found that the number of totally pain-free days went up by 7% which is regarded as significant for a problem that is otherwise so hard to treat. They are confident that this research warrants further investigation into the links between bra wearing and breast pain and cysts. Several other studies have shown a link between breast pain and breast cancer. For example, French researchers at the University of Paris Necker Hospital have found that women with monthly breast pain have double the risk of getting breast cancer. They ascertained that statistically, pain can be as significant a risk factor as a family history of cancer. It is important to note that this study had a significant effect on pre-menopausal women with breast pain. Post-menopausal women did not benefit as much from not wearing a bra. Both Mansel and Cawthorne are clear that there is no medical benefit to be obtained from wearing a bra. It does not stop sagging of the breast. Dispatches approached Playtex who confirmed that they are aware that there are no medical benefits. There are several theories as to why bras may cause breast pain. The fact that bras heat the breast is one theory, while the compression of channels leading from the breast to the lymph nodes through the structure of the bra is another. More research needs to be done into this area. *************************************** BRAS - THE BARE FACTS Channel 4, Thursday, November 2, 10pm Is it habit, modesty, support or just plain sex appeal that has convinced women that wearing a bra is essential? In the '70s, some women burnt their bras as a sign of liberation, now Dispatches asks if women should go without in the interests of wellbeing. While bra fitters claim that bras stop sagging, medical experts are beginning to examine the down side of wearing a bra. Bras have become the essential female garment. At the same time, breast problems have been increasing. At least two out of five women suffer from pains in their breasts - some also suffer from cysts. In the name of fashion, breasts have been pushed into all different shapes and sizes - but for women living with breast pain, it's no joke. "Breast pain affects you on so many different levels - things like picking your children upit hurts so much," says one woman. "It hurts to walk along a street. You just feel miserable all the time," says another. Experts agree breast pain is a serious problem for many women. "It can be very debilitating. I know women who are unable to work because of breast pain. It's very commonit's very hard to treat," says Professor ROBERT MANSEL of the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The biggest worry of course is breast cancer. Most research looks for an explanation in hormones, genetics and diet, but one man has a simpler solution - he claims that breast cancer could be connected with wearing bras. Medical anthropologist SYDNEY SINGER likens the wearing of bras to the ancient practice of Chinese foot binding. "The purpose [of bras] is to bind the breast. There is nothing good about them - our culture has turned breasts into fashion accessories" he says. While Singer's theories are not supported by scientific evidence, some breast specialists are sceptical about the function a bra performs. Professor Mansel says there is no evidence that bras are good for your health: "There's no positive evidence that wearing a bra is good for the breast." There has been little research into the causes of breast pain so Dispatches commissioned its own research from a team of medical experts who looked at the possibility of a link between it and wearing a bra. They asked a group of women suffering from breast pain to live without their bras. The women were required to report back on any changes they experienced as a result of going without. For many, the results have changed their lives, and led the doctors involved to call for further research. Dir: Jill Nicholls Prod: Martin Weitz Prod co: MBC/Focus Productions |