Research shows that the way we live influences our risk of developing breast cancer.
In this section, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation offers facts to inform you and tips to motivate you to take action for your breast health and to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Our lifestyle choices are shaped by many factors, including our income, where we live and work, the quality of the air we breathe, the standard of housing we live in, and our proximity to public transport, grocery stores, safe parks and public spaces, health clinics, and other amenities that support our wellness. These factors shape our health and the choices we are able to make.
By living well —being a healthier body weight, eating a more balanced diet, getting regular physical activity, limiting your alcohol consumption and quitting smoking—you can help to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
By reducing your exposure to toxic chemicals in the environment, you can also help to reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Taking precautions for your breast health
The Foundation supports the use of the precautionary principle as a way to apply evolving breast cancer prevention evidence in our daily lives. By following the precautionary principle in your life, when scientific evidence is inconclusive you put your health first and err on the side of caution.
Science may not have all the answers yet, but that doesn’t mean we are powerless. There are many practical actions and concrete steps we can take now to help reduce the risk of breast cancer. We encourage you to take precautions that put your health and the health of others first.
Individual change is a first step. Advocating for change to improve the environments we all live and work in is the next so that healthier choices are the easy, accessible and affordable options for everyone.
More Information
Living well to reduce your breast cancer risk
Reducing your exposure to harmful substances in the environment
Breast cancer risk factors
About breast cancer