Global Campaign to Prevent Breast Cancer Kicks Off

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thousands of survivors, healthcare professionals, and community organizers are rallying this Breast Cancer Awareness season—from California to New York and from Michigan to South Carolina, in addition to several international locations—to share the lifesaving message of prevention with everyone.

Led by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a health advocacy nonprofit of 17,000 doctors, the Let’s Beat Breast Cancer campaign is again this year raising awareness of strategies that can help prevent breast cancer. Dozens of free rallies planned in the United States and across the world will feature performances by local marching bands, testimonials from those impacted by breast cancer, plant-based food samples, fitness classes, giveaways, and more.

“This campaign is urgently needed,” said registered dietitian Stephanie McBurnett, a nutrition educator with the Physicians Committee. “Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, yet many women are not receiving information about the role lifestyle can play in reducing the risk.”

In a national survey, more than 80% of women reported that their healthcare providers had not discussed with them the role of diet in the prevention of breast cancer. The Physicians Committee’s Let’s Beat Breast Cancer campaign aims to change that—with free rallies and a new public service announcement featuring tennis champion Venus Williams and renowned breast cancer surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk, playing soon in dozens of AMC theatres.

The National Cancer Institute reports that 1 in 8 women born in the United States today will develop breast cancer, and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women have a disproportionately high breast cancer death rate.

The Physicians Committee encourages people to reduce breast cancer risk by following the research-backed four-pronged approach:

• Eat a whole food, plant-based diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Limit alcohol.
• Maintain a healthy weight.

It’s a strategy the American Medical Association has endorsed. A policy was drafted by Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee and alternate delegate to the AMA for the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, that calls on physicians to regularly discuss with patients the lifestyle changes that can help prevent breast cancer.

Research and leading disease-prevention agencies also support the four-pronged prevention approach. Studies show consumption of vegetables, fruits, and soy products, as well as increased fiber intake, is associated with reduced risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Additionally, the National Cancer Institute, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Institute for Cancer Research, and other authorities have determined that individuals may reduce their risk of breast cancer incidence and/or mortality by maintaining a healthy body weight, limiting alcohol intake, and engaging in regular physical activity.

For more information on the steps people can take to decrease their chances of developing breast cancer and to find a rally near you, visit LetsBeatBreastCancer.org.