Q: Why should I be worried about breast cancer?
A: The facts are a wake-up call. In 2007, an estimated 237,000 American women were diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,500 died of the disease. In the United States, a
woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is greater than 1 in 8. Breast cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 cancer diagnoses in women. It is the leading cause of cancer death among women between their 30s and 50s in the
United States.
Q: No one in my family has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Am I safe?
A: Unfortunately, no woman is completely safe from breast cancer. In fact, no more than 1 in 10
women who have breast cancer have a genetic history of the disease. Even when all traditional risk factors—including genetic predisposition, reproductive history, diet, exercise and alcohol—are combined, more than half of U.S. breast cancer cases remain unexplained. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that synthetic chemicals and radiation in the environment are linked to breast cancer.
Q: Why is prevention important?
A: Because so many cases of breast cancer are not tied to genetics and because science increasingly points to environmental factors as a cause, prevention can play a big role in reducing your risk of the disease. The Breast Cancer Fund is the leading national organization focused on identifying the environmental causes of breast cancer and preventing the disease by educating women, changing policy and spreading the word.
Q: What do chemicals have to do with breast cancer?
A: An estimated 80,000 synthetic chemicals have been registered for use in the United States in the last 40 years, but fewer than 10 percent of them have been fully tested for their effects on our health. Because many of these chemicals accumulate in body fat and remain in breast tissue for decades, every woman, man and child now carries synthetic chemicals in their bodies—including some that have been found to cause mammary tumors.
Q: What can I do to reduce my risk?
A: The Pure Prevention campaign is designed to inform you about the environmental links to breast cancer and empower you to live actively, healthy and well. For 5 Tips for Pure Prevention on how reduce your risk, click here.
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