A bundle of scientific reports indicate more than 200 chemicals, found in the air and in consumer products, cause breast cancer in animal tests.Researchers report in an American Cancer Society publication that reducing exposure to such compounds could prevent many women from developing the disease.
Family history and genetic make-up are responsible for only a small percentage of breast cancer cases. Environmental and lifestyle factors, such as diet, are most likely involved in the majority of cases, say experts.
Women who work on farms are three times more likely to develop breast cancer as a result of exposure to pesticides, and women who grew up and worked on farms are four times more likely to develop breast cancer, according to occupational and environmental health scientist James Brophy. 
