Health risks from plastics come primarily from food storage, preparation, and purchasing. When heated, plastic containers and/or wrap can leach harmful chemicals into your food. These chemicals, bisphenols and phthalates, are known endocrine disruptors and are implicated in numerous health challenges like diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Plastic Pollution Coalition is currently a co-investigator on a pilot study, ReThink Plastic, funded by California’s Breast Cancer Research Fund (CBCRF). PPC is working with Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS) to test an intervention strategy that reduces plastic use through educating trainers about toxic chemicals in plastics.

Thank you to URevolution for allowing us to reprint this blog.

Is it okay to laugh at cancer? Yes. Is there such a thing as an amusing cancer blog? We think so!

For autumn 2018 we’ve put together a list of five bloggers we are reading now who talk about their experiences with cancer in unusual, sometimes educational, mostly amusing, entirely personal ways. If you’re looking for that feeling of “I just can’t stop scrolling,” you’ve come to the right place.

Making water more available in New York City public schools through self-serve water dispensers in cafeterias resulted in small—but statistically significant—declines in students' weight, according to new findings.

Our first app for review is geared to people starting or currently receiving cancer treatment. It would also be very helpful after treatment to track long-term symptoms and medical follow-up. Cancer.Net Mobile is available free for iPhone, iPad and Android. This app is available in Spanish, too! Just download on a Spanish-enabled device.

It offers tools to help understand cancer and monitor health. Developed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), it includes the latest medical information from a reliable source. In Google Play it has a 4.3 star (out of 5) rating. The latest update (version 4.0, June 2018) has made this app much more user-friendly, and it appears that they addressed technical problems that were previously reported.

Like many health conditions, the risk of breast cancer can be impacted by exposure to harmful chemicals. As scientists have learned more about these problems, new resources have been developed. Detox Me is a free smartphone app that provides “…a personalized guide to reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals.” It has simple, research-based tips on how to avoid chemicals that affect our hormones and choose safer products. For those of us seeking to reduce harmful chemicals from our daily lives, it will track our progress and offer rewards!

When my friend Mara felt a lump in her right breast in April 2019, her first reaction was panic. She got on the phone with me right away and asked me to come with her to the doctor.

After a few days of anxious waiting, we received confirmation that it was breast cancer. As I sat beside Mara outside the doctor’s office, I could see her whole spirit deflating.

I wasn’t sure how to help her, so I suggested we look for breast cancer support groups that she can join. Maybe if she connects with other people going through the same thing, she would feel less helpless and overwhelmed.

Fern Orenstein is currently a member of Zero Breast Cancer’s Scientific Advisory Group and was a founding board member of our organization, serving a total of 20 years! The above picture was taken when she was an honoree at our 2016 Honor Our Healer event. We are pleased to share with you a blog Fern wrote about her newest endeavor: A 3D nipple and areola tattooing nonprofit for breast cancer survivors.

The 2016 Francine Levien Activist Award will be presented to the Tampalpais High School Breast Cancer Awareness Club for their ongoing support of the mission of Zero Breast Cancer and for being role models in the way they engage their peers in efforts to ensure progress towards preventing this disease. The award will be accepted by club president Maddie Stoops, along with fellow leaders Ali Merkl, Colette Lowry and Hans Glader at this year’s Honor Our Healers event coming up on May 10th. You can read about it here.

What used to be the county with the nation’s highest rate of breast cancer, Marin County is now reveling in some new statistics.

Our materials for Girls’ New Puberty are helping parents and caregivers of girls under 8 years old reduce the likelihood of early puberty. You may ask yourself, why does it matter to an organization whose goal is to prevent breast cancer whether girls start developing early?

Every spring the Safeway Foundation focuses on Cancer as one of a dozen causes it cares about. Safeway customers make generous donations at the point of sale in their local Safeway stores in Northern California. For the past 12 years the NorCal Safeway Foundation has considered requests for funding to support the vision of Zero Breast Cancer and generously contributed a total of over $146,000 to date.

The period after active treatment is a time of heightened anxiety for many breast cancer survivors as they graduate from medical routines and also become concerned about recurrence. Zero Breast Cancer has spent the last couple of years laying the groundwork for an integrated, evidence-based educational campaign focused on breast cancer recurrence prevention for survivors. In order to ensure our campaign meets the needs of post-treatment survivors—especially underserved survivors, including racial/ethnic minorities, gender/sexual minorities and people who have lower incomes—we have been working with patients, survivors, caregivers and the professionals that serve them to collect information and better understand diverse points-of-view. We would like to take a moment to update you on our current work in the area. 

Christine Jon’el is a young, Black woman living with an amputation who has survived cancer two times. When we first spoke with her a few months ago, her passion for calling out ableism and racism in breast cancer was clear. We are grateful that she agreed to be interviewed so we can share her insights with you!

Did you know that eating poorly and not exercising are not only bad for your health, but for your wallet as well? A study conducted by the University of Sydney found that "physical inactivity costs the global economy $67.5 billion a year in healthcare and productivity losses" (Voice of America, 2016). Some common risks that are elevated with lack of activity include heart disease, diabetes, and cancer and the overall lack of exercise is estimated to cause almost as many deaths as smoking this year. However, it is important to remember that many of these tragedies can be avoided by practicing prevention!

This year, the Dipsea Hike for Zero Breast Cancer is virtual! Register to hike, bike, wheel, walk or move any way, anywhere for 5.5 miles (the equivalent of the dipsea trail) between September 1st and 26th. You can do it all at once or a little at a time over multiple days.

Longing to hike the Dipsea Trail in Old Mill Park, Mill Valley but can't make it out for your 5.5 miles? Bring yourself there virtually with our phone backgrounds!

This year, the Dipsea Hike for Zero Breast Cancer is virtual! Register to hike, bike, wheel, walk or move any way, anywhere for 5.5 miles (the equivalent of the Dipsea trail) between September 1st and 26th. You can do it all at once or a little at a time over multiple days.

Longing to hike the Dipsea Trail in Old Mill Park, Mill Valley but can't make it out for your 5.5 miles? Bring yourself there virtually with our Zoom backgrounds!

This year, ZBC recognizes three up and coming leaders who are making a big investment in our community. JT and Jake Peterson and colleague Marcus Hall run Ripped Body Fitness in Mill Valley. These young men are the best of their generation: they work hard, play hard and focus on healthy living in every respect, including giving back to the community in many generous ways. We are excited to honor them and tell their story at our upcoming Honor Our Healers event on May 10th. You can learn more here.

You could describe Dr. Leah Kelley by her credentials: Yale graduate; board certified in obstetrics and gynecology; medical director of the Breast Oncology Program at Marin General Hospital (MGH).

Or, you could describe Dr. Leah Kelley by her personal attributes: Six-feet tall and athletic.

A two-time cancer survivor reflects on the adage that laughter is the best medicine.

I like to think of myself as a funny person. I always try to find a way to laugh about something and must admit that I am also a bit of a practical joker at times (as long as no one gets hurt). I even try to keep my sense of humor during difficult times, because it is an excellent way to break the ice in an uncomfortable situation. It helps me make light of my challenging circumstances, and it has helped me heal through considerable obstacles in life.