To answer your question: no, absolutely not. There is no way that fooling around, having your breasts touched or bit or whatever, could in any way cause breast cancer. And there's no proof that other rumored causes such as wearing underwire bras or using antiperspirants has any impact, either. As an aside, maybe you can tell your guy to go a little easier, so you can avoid pain!

We understand your concern about this serious disease, which impacts so many women each year. Though doctors still can't be sure what causes breast cancer, they do know of some ways we can help protect ourselves. One way is to avoid alcohol, because the more a woman drinks, the more the risk of breast cancer may increase. Also, it's thought that getting exercise will help, too, because it can decrease hormone levels that are often linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Best of all, have your doctor or nurse practitioner show you how to do a breast self exam (or watch this: http://www.komen.org/bse/) and then each month, do one yourself so you can keep an eye out for any suspicious changes in your breasts. If you feel something different, you can bring it to your doc's attention.

Try not to worry too much. Being informed and educated is great, but you should know that breast cancer very, very rarely strikes young women (in fact, 94% of all breast cancer occurs in women over 40). October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you want to help, visit the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation at http://www.komen.org/.

—Andrea Pyros