Every October, we see pink ribbons on everything from clothing to food packaging. We celebrate survivors, remember women we've lost, and raise money to support breast cancer research and treatment.
Those are meaningful expressions of compassion, and I would never want to diminish what they mean to a woman who's faced this disease. But I've been thinking about another side of awareness that deserves more attention: understanding what contributes to breast cancer and what we can do to reduce our risks before a diagnosis.
As a natural health professional, I believe prevention deserves a place in our everyday conversations about health. And as a Christian woman, I believe seeking reliable knowledge is part of faithfully stewarding the body God has entrusted to us.
What Actually Causes Cancer?
In the book Hope for Cancer, Dr. Jimenez describes cancer as a group of ill cells fighting to survive. This happens when the body’s terrain, including the body, soul, and spirit, is greatly imbalanced. This imbalance hinders the immune system's ability to eliminate these groups of diseased cells, allowing them to replicate.
For breast cancer, it helps to think in terms of risk factors: most of which we can influence, some we cannot. A risk factor raises the chance of developing cancer; it does not mean cancer is inevitable.
Dr. Jimenez breaks down the biological influences on the body's terrain into these categories.
Lifestyle
Our lifestyle shapes the daily conditions in which the body functions. Food choices, movement, sleep, alcohol, and tobacco use influence inflammation, blood sugar regulation, and the body’s ability to repair itself.
Developing consistent habits is the best way to tend to the foundations of health: eating nourishing foods regularly, moving in ways your body can manage, getting adequate rest, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco.
Physical activity is an important piece of the picture. Studies have found that women who are more physically active generally have a lower breast cancer risk than women who are less active.
For women in midlife, body composition and metabolic health deserve attention too. Excess body weight after menopause is associated with increased risk, while physical activity can support insulin regulation, hormone metabolism, and overall health.
This is one more reason I've been emphasizing the importance of building muscle as we age. Strength training can improve metabolic health and help us remain strong and capable.
Bioregulation
This involves poor metabolism and chronic inflammatory diseases like diabetes, as well as pH & hormone imbalances.
Bioregulation refers to the body’s ability to maintain balance and respond to change. A look at how metabolic health, blood sugar, chronic inflammation, and hormone function work together rather than treating each as an isolated issue.
Diabetes and excess body fat, for example, can affect inflammatory and hormonal pathways associated with cancer risk. You may have heard that cancer grows in an acidic environment. It is important to maintain a balanced pH through proper hydration and electrolyte balance. The focus is supporting overall health and getting persistent symptoms or known conditions properly evaluated.
Hormones deserve a thoughtful discussion because some breast cancers are sensitive to estrogen and progesterone signaling. Certain forms of menopausal hormone therapy, especially combined estrogen-progestin treatment, are associated with increased breast cancer risk.
Current or recent use of hormonal contraceptives has also been associated with an increase in breast cancer risk in some studies. However, that increased risk generally declines after stopping.
Environmental Toxins & Chronic Infections
Our surroundings can affect health, and some exposures are known to increase cancer risk. Two-thirds of cancers are caused by environmental toxins, according to the NIH and NCI. This includes molds, heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, and lead found in air, water, food, and soil), pesticides, BPA, and EMF radiation, to name a few, along with pharmaceutical drugs
This is an area that especially interests me because it changed the way I began to think about everyday chemical exposure after developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
Parabens are preservatives used in some cosmetics, lotions, and other personal care products. Studies have found associations between the use of certain products and higher concentrations of paraben metabolites in urine.
Some parabens can also interact with estrogen receptors. In 2016, a laboratory study, researchers found that butylparaben worked together with certain growth-factor signals to increase the activity of a cancer-related gene and stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.
A 2023 study took the investigation further by asking healthy women to reduce their use of personal care products containing parabens and phthalates for 28 days. Researchers found lower levels of certain chemical metabolites in urine, along with changes in breast-tissue gene expression and biological pathways associated with cancer development.
I find research on this topic fascinating because it raises questions about how everyday exposures may influence breast tissue.
For me, the appropriate response is neither panic nor dismissal. It's curiosity, continued research, and informed decision-making.
According to the ACS, 15-20% of all cancers are linked to chronic infections such as Epstein-Barr virus, Herpesvirus, Hepatitis, H. pylori, and Merkel cell polyomavirus.
Genetics
Inherited genetic changes account for a relatively small share of cancers, often estimated at about 5%, but inherited variants such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 can substantially increase risk. Family history matters even when no genetic variant has been identified.
From a holistic perspective, understanding your family history helps you make informed choices about screening and the health habits within your control. If several close relatives have had the same or related cancers.
Soul and Spirit
I don't believe we can discuss whole-person wellness without acknowledging emotional health. Grief, anxiety, prolonged stress, and unresolved conflict can affect sleep, relationships, appetite, blood pressure, and our overall sense of well-being.
Prayer, supportive community, counseling, and honest conversations may be meaningful parts of your health renewal. Compassionate care makes room for the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.
Prevention Is Not the Same as Early Detection
This is one distinction I wish every woman understood. Prevention reduces the possibility of developing cancer, while early detection finds cancer that may already be present. Both have important roles, but they accomplish different things.
Thermography measures heat patterns near the skin's surface, but it doesn't directly detect cancer cells. These heat patterns represent unusual rapid growth and will show up long before a lump does, making it a good way to know if you should seek further testing to detect breast cancer earlier.
Women should understand their alternative screening options, feel comfortable asking questions, let their doctor know what they have learned from research, and agree to receive the results.
What Does the Bible Say About Knowledge?
Hosea 4:6 tells us, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” In context, the Lord was addressing His people's rejection of spiritual truth, but the passage reminds me how important it is to seek knowledge and exercise discernment.
When I first began learning about natural health, I realized how many assumptions I'd made about the products I used every day. I believed that if something was available on a store shelf, it must have been thoroughly tested and deemed safe.
Never did I question the ingredients in my cosmetics, personal care products, fragrances, or household cleaners. Perhaps you've felt that way too, assuming someone else had already asked all the important questions.
First Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
I believe that faithfulness includes being willing to learn, question assumptions, and make thoughtful decisions about the bodies God has entrusted to us.
It means understanding established risk factors while remaining open to credible emerging research. It means caring for our physical and emotional health without becoming fearful of everything around us.
And it means remembering that even the most conscientious woman cannot guarantee she will never develop cancer.
Let's Make October About Health Stewardship
Let's continue celebrating survivors, comforting grieving families, and supporting the women who are walking through breast cancer today.
Then ask more of the companies that put pink ribbons on their products. Are they providing transparent ingredient information, reducing exposure to known carcinogens, supporting meaningful research, and helping consumers make informed decisions?
Those are fair questions, and they're worth asking long after October ends. My hope is that we become women who seek knowledge without fear, practice stewardship without inconsistency, and extend compassion without judgment.
Because breast cancer awareness should do more than remind us that cancer exists. It should help us become better informed about the choices, risks, and resources that matter to our health.
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DISCLAIMER: I’m passionate about helping busy women care for their bodies with biblical, natural tools. Some of the resources I share may be products or links I personally use and recommend. If you ever choose to purchase through one of my links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work and your health legacy.
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