Share Your Story

Only 1 in 10 women with breast cancer have a genetic history of the disease. A growing body of scientific evidence links toxic chemicals in our everyday environment to the high rates of breast cancer. Women affected by breast cancer have powerful stories to tell about these links and what we can do to reduce our risk - and the risk for future generations. Join us by sharing your story.

	Susan, New Brunswick "Generally people have blind faith that we wouldn't be sold products that could harm us - "they're tested, right?"			Joanne, California "Like many women, I did not have any significant risk factors..."
	Maggie, Ohio "Just making simple changes here and there really makes me feel as if I am making a difference in my health and the health of my family."			Sarah, Maryland "I hope that the combination of detection and prevention will keep me healthy, and I urge others to do the same!
	Marsha, Illinois "We do have control over what we put in and on our bodies, and I urge [people] to be proactive!"			Bev, Colorado "I firmly believe our environment and what we are exposed to at critical points in our development set the stage for breast cancer in the future."
	Rosanne, Colorado "I realized prevention was more than not smoking, maintaining ideal body weight, eating fruits and vegetables and exercising."			Ann, Montana "Back when I had Hodgkin’s, one of my doctors thought it was caused by chemical exposures in childhood."
	Karen, New York "I think finding balance in our hectic lives is so key to continued healing."			Kelly, Illinois "I am a 36-year-old professional woman with no history of breast cancer in my family."

Susan, New Brunswick

I am a family physician who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41 (I found the lump myself). I was shocked because I am healthy, athletic and breast fed both my babies. I had already started making changes toward more organic food choices and less toxic cleaning products, and I have no family history of breast cancer.

I was naive about the everyday products I was using - personal care products, household cleaners, the plastics, non-stick bakeware, lawn products, and things like VOC's, off-gassing, and BPA... and the list goes on. I have made many changes as a result of being more informed, looking for healthier, non-toxic solutions for everything.

I am finding that friends and patients are in various states of "readiness" to accept that there is a problem with our environment, as it relates to our health, including cancer risk. Generally, people have blind faith that we wouldn't be sold products that could harm us - "they're tested, right?” I will continue to become more informed myself and share my knowledge, encourage others to inform themselves, and act!

Joanne, California

I am a former OB/GYN. I say former because treatment for breast cancer at age 45 caused permanent nerve damage diminishing my manual dexterity and sensation. Over the past five years, I've had to deal with one loss after another- my breast, my hair, my sex drive and my chosen profession.

Like many women, I did not have any significant risk factors (except having my first baby after age 30), but I am sure that my exposure to in-utero DES, a 1959 nuclear meltdown at Rocketdyne in the San Fernando Valley, discarded jet fuel in the water supply, summer swimming in the Delaware River near Dupont, and being exposed to pesticides in food and actual spraying in the San Fernando Valley all contributed to endocrine disruption in my body.

How long will it take to rid our bodies and our precious Mother Earth of these atrociously harmful chemicals? When I asked my local state assemblyman, “What would it take to make my county, one of the most prolific growing regions in the world, pesticide-free?” he reminded me that the agriculture industry should never be underestimated. Knowing what we know about pesticides, I find it remarkable that the reasons in favor of a pesticide-free country would even need to be questioned or negotiated.

So what am I doing? Yes, I eat organic and have switched to safer cosmetics and household cleaning solutions just as others have. More significantly, I am going to get my Master’s in Public Policy/Public Health and influence change on a larger scale.

Maggie, Ohio

I had been online during my pregnancy and saw a news broadcast on inflammatory breast cancer. I had never heard of it before, so out of curiosity I did some research.

The following day I had many signs of it. After antibiotics, an ultrasound, and then ultimately a mammogram after my son was born, I was given a biopsy. I was diagnosed when my son was 13 days old.

I have always been weight conscious, like most women, and have been yo-yo dieting my entire adult life. But, after my diagnosis, I have changed many things about the way I eat and the way I cook for my family. I buy organic fruits, vegetables, meat, and eggs. I try to get as much organic food as possible for my son, especially. I have begun to incorporate organic cleaning products as the ones that I have run out. I don't cook in plastic, and I keep an eye on all of the toys that I buy for my son.

By making simple changes here and there, I feel like I’m making a real difference in my health and the health of my family.

Sarah, Maryland

My mother and grandmother both had breast cancer. My grandmother died of it at a young age, and my mother is a survivor, who fought a very advanced breast cancer in her early forties. Just this past year, my mother underwent genetic testing to see if she carried any of the known mutations. While her results don't show BRAC 1 or 2 mutations, her results were inconclusive. She is now participating in a study to look at her particular genetic mutation so we can better understand its implications.

I know that I am at risk, and I am working with the University of Maryland's Breast Center to create an aggressive prevention and screening plan.

I grew up in a town with a very large chemical company, and I wonder if that too played a part in my family's history of breast cancer. I've started thinking more about the food I eat (am now buying organic) and the environment I live in (am now using eco-friendly cleaners and other products). I hope that the combination of detection and prevention will keep me healthy, and I urge others to do the same! Together, hopefully, we can save our mothers, sisters, aunts, and daughters.

Marsha, Illinois

I am a 49-year-old breast imaging technologist. I work in a large, very busy Center for Breast Health. Every day we diagnose one to two women with breast cancer.

In June of last year, I had to look no further than my own films to see the cancer growing inside me. I was diagnosed with an invasive ductal breast cancer. Thank goodness I am diligent about getting my mammogram every year! From the moment I was diagnosed I started researching and one of the places that research took me was to the Breast Cancer Fund.

I have spoken publicly to hundreds of women (and men) about prevention and nutrition and believe it is through these two things that our cancer numbers will start to decrease.

I know that over 90% of all breast cancers have no genetic component. I continue to do my full time job as a technologist, but my passion lies in reaching out to all women and making them aware that there are many things we all can do to reduce our risk. We do have control over what we put in and on our bodies, and I urge them to be proactive!

Bev, Colorado

I grew up on a farm in North Carolina where my family raised cut flowers in greenhouses. I have always been so proud of my upbringing because I am not afraid of hard work.

Today, I am an active mom and runner. But looking back and researching the chemicals my dad used, I feel studies are needed to observe the relationship between breast cancer and endocrine disruptor exposure during adolescence.

I have always been active and considered myself strong and healthy. I first found a lump at 34, and soon after turning 35, had my first mammogram. Diagnosis: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, stage I. I had a mastectomy and hit the ground running, literally.

Things were humming right along, but right after running my 1st Boston Marathon in 2004, I was diagnosed with a recurrence at the age of 40. Chemo and radiation followed.

I have since become ultra aware of my surroundings. For the sake of my kids and others, I have become an advocate for parents learning what they are applying to their lawns and using as products in their homes.

I firmly believe our environment and what we are exposed to at critical points in our development set the stage for breast cancer in the future.

If more and more women are being diagnosed in their 30s, and it takes an average of 10-15 years for a cell to become palpable, then something is affecting us between the ages of 10-20. What is it?

Rosanne, Colorado

At age 44, living in a small ski town in Colorado, I thought I was living a healthy life but was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer. Most patients are shocked when they hear the diagnosis of cancer and their name in the same sentence. I was no exception to that rule. I am a doctor myself, armed with all the knowledge of medicine, applying that knowledge not only to patients, but to myself. I exercised, limited alcohol use, never smoked, breastfed both of my babies and had five sisters older than me, not one with a diagnosis of breast cancer.

I realized prevention was more than not smoking, maintaining ideal body weight, eating fruits and vegetables and exercising. I started to look more at the skin care products I have used for years. I started to look at the plastic in my world. Not only did I stop heating in plastic, change many skin care products, but I also changed my water bottles too. I buy more organic.

I now talk to my patients about environmental health. Just today, I had a woman come for a visit in my office, to ask me how she can lower her risk for breast cancer. I teach patients on a one on one basis but have also spoken to the community about ways to lower breast cancer risk.

We now have the knowledge and ability to make safer products and safer foods. It is my hope we can implement more of these healthier choices on a larger scale, thus creating a healthier world for the next generation. Join me in my goal to spread the word, prevention starts here.

Ann, Montana

I grew up in Southern California on a ranch where we raised avocados and horses. I spent most of my childhood riding and hiking in the hills on and around our ranch.

I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1982 at the age of 22. I had surgery, which included removing my spleen, and radiation. That diagnosis was a shock - I had never had more than the flu!

The doctors told me the radiation increased my risk of breast cancer. I didn’t realize how high my risk was until I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 at the age of 46. Studies done later suggest that women treated with radiation were “likely” to get a second cancer. Hearing the words “you have cancer” was devastating.

I had a lumpectomy and then a bi-lateral mastectomy, followed by nine months of chemotherapy. My hair fell out, which wasn’t so bad but it was winter in Montana! The chemo made me sick, but I was determined to stay active, hiking, mountain biking and kayaking. I had to scale back how much I could do and usually gave myself a few days to feel better before doing these activities, always listening to my body and what it needed.

Having cancer again really changed my life. Back when I had Hodgkin’s, one of my doctors thought it was caused by chemical exposures in childhood. My family used lots of chemicals, including DDT on the ranch. Being aware of that possibility, I became more conscience of toxins in the environment and tried to avoid them. The more I learned about food and household cleaners and cosmetics, I became more concerned. I started reading labels early on, finding petroleum in chapstick was alarming, and I didn’t want to eat petroleum!

I made a presentation to my breast cancer support group in August and told them about the chemicals in our everyday products and how to find out if their cosmetics are safe by going to www.pureprevention.org.

Karen, New York

Last week's mammogram marked three years clear of breast cancer. Wonderful news! What exactly is helping to keep me healthy is hard to know for sure. Probably a combination of a few things I'll share here: greens, eating and drinking lots of them, also drinking kombucha tea, not too much meat and dairy, getting good rest, doing yoga, spending time in nature, taking time out for for quiet contemplation and sharing fun times with loved ones. I think finding balance in our hectic lives is so key to continued healing.

Kelly, Illinois

I am a 36-year-old professional woman with no history of breast cancer in my family. I have never smoked and drink wine occasionally. I have run about 10 marathons in 8 years and finished my first Ironman distance triathlon this year, while undergoing chemotherapy. I am finishing up treatment and on the road to survivorship!

I have joined up with LUNA to help raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund and help other women stay active and be aware of the things they can do to prevent breast cancer. Together, we can make a huge difference and help others survive!