While we can do a lot of things as individuals to reduce our own risk of breast cancer, there are many risk factors that we can’t address alone. Built into our society, for example, are racism, unsafe chemicals, and policies that harm our health. All of these and more shape breast cancer risk and can only be changed by working together. This page is a work-in-progress and more areas where collective action is necessary will be added.
To prevent breast cancers, scientists look for risk factors (anything that increases your chance of developing cancer) and protective factors (anything that decreases your chance of developing cancer) starting even before birth. We can't change the genes we inherit or our age. However, some risk factors for cancer can be avoided, such as smoking.
Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may lower your risk but it does not mean that you will not get breast cancer. ZBC focuses on individual and community actions and environments that we can change.
We provide these materials free of charge to schools, nonprofits, businesses and others interested in sharing our materials with their clients or their communities. Please fill out this MATERIALS REQUEST FORM and email us This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like copies in English and/or Spanish.
If you would like to support our mission to educate diverse, low-income communities about breast cancer prevention, we welcome donations to offset the cost of developing, printing and mailing these materials. Thank you for your support!
The Breast Biologues: A biology dialogue about breast cancer and the environment is a 15-minute animated video premiered in November 2010. Narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Peter Coyote, The Breast Biologues uses time-lapse imaging to explain how the normal breast develops and how exposures to potential cancer-causing chemicals during specific periods of development might influence future breast cancer risk. In addition, comic books based on the video are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese and can be used in conjunction with the video or on their own. The comic books discuss the biology of the breast and latest BCERP research.
