Dr. Weiss's article in the Huffington Post

I totally agree with her article 200%.  I will always regret taking OC and strongly feel it was a HUGE trigger for my BC.

I think it's very true that there are environmental and lifestyle factors that contribute to the development of breast cancer.  But Dr. Weiss's article starts with one statement that I strongly believe to be untrue:

"Here's what we know: Only 10 percent of breast cancers are largely due to an inherited gene. Ninety percent of breast cancers are mainly due to lifestyle, reproductive choices, and environmental exposures."

What we do know is that only 10% of breast cancer is attributable to inherited genes that have been discovered to date. But it's expected that more genes will be discovered in the future. So the 10% number is likely to grow. 

And what about other inherited traits that increase our risk? We also know that some of the most significant factors that put us at high risk of breast cancer are inherited.  These aren't genetic mutations, such as the BRCA genes, but these are inherited physical characteristics. Consider the age at which we get our periods, and the age at which we enter menopause... this is at least in part inherited. Another example is breast density. My mother is in her late 80s and still has very dense breasts. I am post-menopausal and continue to have extremely dense breasts. Breast density is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer. Did I inherit this risk factor?  It sure looks like I did. Several studies have shown that breast density is inherited. Even breastcancer.org state that "Breast density can be inherited, so if your mother has dense breasts, it's likely you will, too."

http://www.research.utoronto.ca/feature-stories/breast-density-study-explores-cancer-risk-factor/    

http://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/dense_breasts   

None of these factors are included in the 10% of breast cancers that are inherited - that number only covers currently discovered 'breast cancer genes'.  But if I developed BC at least in part because of my high breast density, and if my breast density was inherited, then don't I have an inherited breast cancer?

I think over time we will understand that a much greater percent of breast cancer cases are in fact inherited/genetic, in one way or another.  So I believe that the percent of cases that are due to lifestyle factors, reproductive choices and environmental factors is actually much less than the 90% that Dr. Weiss states and uses as the premise for her article. 

That's not to say that there aren't things that we can and should be doing to lessen the risk for our daughters and nieces, or that we shouldn't be trying to figure out which environmental factors increase risk.  But to imply that we can influence 90% of breast cancer cases.... I think that's very misleading. 

I do know that I can't blame birth control pills - I tried them for about 3 months in my 20s and that was it.  

I do believe the environmental factors play a critical role in the increase in breast cancer over the past 30-40 years.  Someone who is now age 70-80's did not grow up drinking/eating hormone injected milk/meats.  They did not have the heavy exposure to DDT and pesticides in farming of food products.  Plastic container products are from our generation.  All the common lawn care products for pest control and fertilizers that are advertised every springtime.  I remember years ago, the beautiful Breck shampoo pictures in magazines --- all those shampoos that would make my scalp dry and neck in a red rash.  The strong detergents in soaps and shampoos with all those paraben perservatives in feamle skin care prodcuts and later sunblocks.  Back then NO labels were required on any consumer products so you had no idea what they contained.  Of course, throw in the popular use of oral birth control.  Is it any surprise that our generation had the most environmental and consumer exposure to cancer causing agents?