RISK AND RISK REDUCTION > Healthy lifestyle & risk reduction > Environmental factors
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND RISK REDUCTION
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
People are exposed to thousands of natural and synthetic chemicals every day. You come into contact with chemicals by breathing the air, eating and drinking, and from touching natural and manufactured objects.
Our knowledge of which chemicals found in our environment can cause breast cancer is not complete. Some chemicals are known to be cancer-causing substances (carcinogenic) based on animal studies or studies of people who work where these chemicals are used and who therefore come into contact with them more than the average person. Certain types of chemicals such as solvents, pesticides, pharmaceutical drugs, additives in food and in gasoline, and some chemicals used in industry and manufacturing have been studied for their links to breast cancer. More research is needed to confirm which among these types of chemicals may increase the risk of breast cancer and which do not.
This area of study is very complex, and the ways in which chemicals may cause breast cancer are not yet well understood. We come into contact with some of these chemicals on a regular basis, and not everyone gets cancer as a result. The effect on cancer risk, and on breast cancer risk, may depend on how much you are exposed to and when during your lifetime, how the substance interacts with your genetic make-up, and other factors. Because breast cancer may take years to develop, it can be difficult to connect cases of breast cancer to chemical exposure that might have occurred years or even decades earlier.
If you are concerned about your exposure to chemicals today, one approach is to review the substances that you're exposed to much more than other people. For example, in your workplace, you may come into regular contact with certain substances in a manufacturing process. You might have to use strong cleaners or solvents for your projects. If you work on a farm, you may encounter pesticides in your everyday environment.
Start by reading the safety labels of the materials that you work with. Be sure to follow proper handling procedures and wear the correct safety equipment. If you have additional questions, you can bring your list of chemicals to your doctor and discuss their potential effects on your risk for breast cancer or other cancers.
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