A recent survey shows just 28% of U.S. women are aware of the link between diet and breast cancer
Sugar Grove Woman, Sole Female Family Member Not Diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Leads Naperville Prevention Rally, One of Dozens Worldwide
NAPERVILLE– Breast cancer survivors and others advocating for breast cancer prevention will join health coaches and nutrition experts Ellen Svehla, of Sugar Grove, and Sharmila Vedam, of Naperville, who are leading a breast cancer prevention rally from 6 – 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Free Speech Pavilion, at the corner of Jackson and Webster Avenues in downtown Naperville. They will be joined by several drummers who will help the assembled group, “Beat (the drums for) breast cancer.” October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“I am so passionate about spreading the word to help others learn how they can take steps to reduce and prevent breast cancer, because my mother died of breast cancer and every single woman in my family, other than me, has been diagnosed with breast cancer,” explains rally co-leader and Food for Life Instructor Svehla. “I found myself frustrated that all I was being told over and over again was to go get my mammograms every year. Why wasn't I getting any information about how to prevent it?”
Led by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a health advocacy nonprofit of 17,000 doctors, the free events, which began Sept. 7, raise awareness about how to thwart breast cancer. The rallies feature performances by local marching bands, testimonials from those impacted by breast cancer, plant-based food samples, and more. Food for Life is a nutrition education and cooking program of Physicians Committee.
From Phuket, Thailand, to Santa Monica, Calif., thousands of survivors, organizers, and community members will rally this Breast Cancer Awareness season so women everywhere can learn the lifesaving message of prevention.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in 2022, the latest year for which mortality data are available, 42,211 women died of breast cancer. And the disease disproportionately affects Black women, who have a higher rate of death from breast cancer than white women.
The Physicians Committee encourages people to reduce breast cancer risk by following the research-backed four-pronged approach:
New Survey Shows Just 28% of U.S. Women Are Aware of the Link Between Diet and Breast Cancer
A recent survey sponsored by the Physicians Committee shows just 28% of U.S. women are aware of the link between diet and breast cancer. The poll included 2,017 women interviewed July 25, 2024, to July 28, 2024.
When prompted with a follow-up question about which specific foods might reduce breast cancer risk, 23% mentioned vegetables, and 16% mentioned fruits. Only 17% were aware that soy products reduce breast cancer risk, while 16% erroneously said that soy increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
The survey highlights a significant lack of awareness of the link between diet and breast cancer. By bringing education to dozens of communities, the campaign aims to address this knowledge gap.
“My family and I switched to a whole food, plant-based diet and lifestyle more than eight years ago when my husband was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease,” Food For Life Instructor and rally co-leader Vedam explains. “He has improved his health with plant-based nutrition, and my entire family has been reaping the benefits of this lifestyle. At the rally, we will spread the word about the benefits of switching to a plant- based lifestyle and how breast cancer is a hormonal type of cancer that is oftentimes avoidable and can improve with the right nutrition choices.”
Rally participants will encourage passersby to sign up for the Physicians Committee’s Let’s Beat Breast Cancer challenge.
Dr. Kristi Funk, a breast cancer surgeon and leading prevention expert, says, “It’s clear that millions of women have yet to hear the lifesaving message that what they eat and drink strongly influences their chances of developing breast cancer. Science shows nearly 50% of cases are preventable through diet and lifestyle, at least in theory, and in my opinion, 80 to 90% of cases could be avoided.”
Svehla educated herself about the role nutrition plays in breast cancer prevention and says, “It changed my life and empowered me. Learning this was so powerful for me, knowing that I was not destined to get breast cancer as my mother and so many others in my family did. I am so excited to be part of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s efforts to help others learn how to take control of their health to prevent diseases.”
Find out more about the rallies organized by the Physicians Committee and held across the country to acknowledge Breast Cancer Awareness Month and pledge today to reduce breast cancer incidence.
For more information on the steps women can take to decrease their chances of developing breast cancer, and to find a rally near you, visit www.LetsBeatBreastCancer.org.
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