Breast Cancer and the Environment

October 6, 2021

Over half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States have no known risk factors. With family history accounting for only around 10 percent of breast cancer diagnoses, a large and growing body of research indicates that toxic chemicals may increase our risk of developing the disease. These are chemicals we are exposed to through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the products we use.

Sharima Rasanayagam Ph.D., Director of Science at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Polly Hoppin ScD, Research Professor and Program Director for Environmental Health at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and Roxana Amaya-Fuentes MPH, Eco-Healthy Child Care® Program Assistant at Children’s Environmental Health Network and Market Shift Node Coordinator at Cancer Free Economy Network, discuss the realities that the environment plays on developing breast cancer, address their work with the Cancer Free Economy Network, and provide helpful tips to making personal changes.