10 Ways to Help Prevent Breast Cancer and Reduce Your Risk
Looking for ways to reduce your breast cancer risk and improve your overall health? Explore research-backed ways to reduce your risk factors
While several factors shaping your personal lifetime risk of breast cancer are completely out of your control—such as genetics, family history, race, ethnicity, breast density, and being born female—there are some modifiable factors that can also play a role.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), nearly half of cancer deaths in the United States are attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors. For breast cancer specifically, about 30% of cases are linked to modifiable risk factors. Other studies have shown that up to 50-70% of breast cancers may be preventable, depending on when people adopt risk-reducing behaviors and lifestyle changes.
Some lifestyle choices can potentially lower your overall risk of breast cancer, it’s important to note that there is no guaranteed “breast cancer diet,” exercise regimen, so-called “cancer-fighting superfood,” or other silver bullet that is guaranteed to prevent breast cancer. Women and men who do all the “right” things—make healthy choices, breastfeed after childbirth, maintain an ideal weight, and more—are still devastatingly diagnosed with breast cancer because of factors outside of their control.
Key Takeaways
- Several lifestyle factors, including weight, alcohol intake, diet, physical activity, and smoking, are modifiable and have research-backed links to breast cancer risk.
- No single food, supplement, or habit guarantees prevention; risk reduction is cumulative across multiple behaviors.
- Among the strongest risk factors is family history of breast cancer: Family history on both the maternal and paternal sides matters. And high-risk individuals have additional options, including medications and surgical interventions.
- Researchers are still uncovering how and why these factors influence risk, and BCRF-funded science is driving that progress.
How to reduce breast cancer risk through everyday choices
Research shows that while many factors shaping your breast cancer risk are beyond your control, a meaningful portion are not. Lifestyle changes, sustained over time, can shift the odds in your favor. The tips below are grounded in BCRF-funded, peer-reviewed research, and most offer benefits that extend well beyond breast cancer risk alone.
Researchers are still working to fully understand breast cancer’s causes to ultimately prevent the disease. For example, they are advancing smarter screening strategies to predict a person’s risk of breast cancer and developing several vaccines. And they have identified several proven risk factors for breast cancer—including many that are potentially modifiable.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer, we’ve rounded up research-backed modifications and tips.
Below are 10 things you can do that may positively impact your risk of breast and other cancers, and may also help combat other serious conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
1. Try to maintain a healthy weight
The relationship between body weight and breast cancer risk and outcomes is complex. BCRF investigators and others continue to study their interplay.
According to the National Cancer Institute, excess weight and obesity after menopause increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer and can worsen outcomes after a diagnosis at any age. Data from ACS links rising rates of hormone receptor (HR)–positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women to increases in obesity.
BCRF researchers have shown that chronic obesity also accelerates the growth of basal-like breast cancer—among the most aggressive subtypes—and that gaining weight in childhood and adolescence significantly increases a person’s chance of developing breast cancer after menopause. Other investigators have found that postmenopausal women who have healthy weights (as measured by body mass index) but high levels of body fat (as measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) may have an increased breast cancer risk—indicating there may be “a large proportion of the population has an unrecognized risk of developing cancer,” according to BCRF investigator Dr. Neil Iyengar.
The good news is, studies have consistently shown that losing weight and maintaining a healthy diet can decrease your cancer risk. One 2020 BCRF-supported study from Dr. Walter Willett showed that women over 50 who sustained weight loss of 10 or more pounds could potentially reduce their future breast cancer risk by 25 to 30%.
“These findings—combined with the known connections between body weight, blood estrogen levels, and breast cancer risk—provide strong evidence that even moderate weight loss later in life can tip risk of breast cancer in a favorable direction,” Dr. Willett said of the findings.
Other research has shown that even avoiding weight gain can have a big impact on your future disease risk. Getting back to, say, your high school weight is likely “largely unattainable,” and can lead to weight swings and overall gains, BCRF investigator Dr. Graham Colditz said on BCRF’s podcast. His recommendation: Watch your scale to keep your weight steady as you incorporate more healthy behaviors.
“If we all avoided more weight gain in 10 years’ time, the nation would be leaner than if we all kept gaining one to two pounds a year,” he said. “[Aim to] self-monitor scales and pay attention to your weight—rather than what we may do as a nation: [set] a new year’s resolution, try to lose weight, give up, gain it back. It’s a seesaw that keeps going up.”
2. Limit red and processed meat
BCRF-supported studies and others have found that a higher intake of red meat (such as beef, pork, veal, and lamb), animal fats, and processed meat (bacon, deli meats, sausages, etc.) are correlated with a greater risk of breast and other cancers for reasons that are still being uncovered.
Aim to incorporate more plant-based sources of protein, such as beans and lentils, nuts, and quinoa—and keep your meat intake moderate.
3. Eat more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains
A diet low in fruits and vegetables is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer—particularly estrogen receptor (ER)–negative breast cancer. The USDA dietary guidelines recommend consuming two cups of fruit and two-and-a-half cups of vegetables each day, though many Americans struggle to hit that target.
“Greens like spinach, kale, and collards are often a weak spot in many diets,” Dr. Willett told BCRF as an example. “In fact, in our surveys we found about 50% of Americans eat almost no greens.”
Vegetables, fruit, and whole grains are unparalleled sources of fiber, which may play a role in breast cancer risk reduction. BCRF-supported research has found that a higher intake of dietary fiber early in life was associated with a lower future risk of breast cancer.
Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, etc.) and leafy greens are also high in carotenoids—naturally occurring pigments in plants that act as antioxidants—which may be linked to a lower risk of ER-negative breast cancer.
The bottom line: Aim to eat a balanced mix of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains; increase plant-based proteins; and decrease meat-based/animal proteins.
4. Limit alcohol consumption
Many people don’t realize that alcohol is a known carcinogen: Up to 6% of cancer diagnoses and 4% of deaths have been linked to its consumption. Researchers have hypothesized that alcohol may increase estrogen in the blood and cause DNA damage, but its connection to cancer risk is still being studied.
Still, even moderate consumption—defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks for men—is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer and particularly HR-positive breast cancer. Women who have between two and three alcoholic drinks per day have a 20% higher risk of the disease compared to those who do not drink.
If your goal is to do all you can to reduce your risk of breast cancer, take stock of your alcohol consumption and either limit it significantly or cut it out entirely.
5. Quit smoking
Need another reason to quit smoking? Several studies have demonstrated a link between smoking and an increased risk of developing breast and other cancers. Women who currently smoke or did in the past and have a family history of breast cancer have an even higher increased risk.
Make this year the year you finally kick cigarettes for good. The American Lung Association offers several resources to get started.
6. Exercise regularly
Exercise plays a role in preventing breast cancer. Cardio and strength training can not only help people maintain a healthy body weight—especially when coupled with a balanced diet—but can also improve outcomes and reduce recurrence after a breast cancer diagnosis. Exercise may even help alleviate unpleasant symptoms during treatment.
If you don’t already get the recommended 30 minutes a day, it’s never too late to try. BCRF investigators recommend starting by doing something, anything, that gets you moving and that you find enjoyable to help you stick with it. Whether you walk, run, garden, play tennis, do an at-home workout, or something else, if you’re getting your heart rate up, you’re reaping benefits.
7. Breastfeed, if you’re able
Studies have shown that breastfeeding may reduce your risk of breast cancer, possibly because it decreases the number of menstrual cycles a woman has in her lifetime. If you’re able to breastfeed, do so knowing you may reap a small protective benefit.
8. Evaluate hormone use and discuss risks with your doctor
Hormone-based contraceptive methods (such as the pill and intrauterine devices) and hormone replacement therapy or menopausal hormone therapy may potentially increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
But it’s important to note that this risk is not the same for everyone, and for many women, the benefits of these therapies far outweigh it. Your family history of breast cancer, your lifestyle, how long you’ve used these methods, and more are also important factors.
Always discuss your personal breast cancer risk and use of hormones with your doctor.
9. Know Your Family History and Your Baseline Risk
Family history is one of the most important pieces of your personal risk picture. Breast cancer susceptibility genes like BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 can be inherited from either parent, so your father’s side of the family matters just as much as your mother’s. A paternal grandmother, aunt, or cousin with breast or ovarian cancer belongs in the conversation.
Once you have a fuller picture of your family history, consider discussing a formal risk assessment with your healthcare provider. Several tools are available that use your personal and family history to estimate your lifetime risk. And that number can directly inform decisions about when to start screening and whether additional prevention strategies make sense for you.
10. If you’re high risk, explore chemoprevention and surgical options
For individuals with a higher-than-average lifetime risk, typically defined as 20% or greater, or those who carry a gene mutation such as BRCA1/2 or PALB2, lifestyle changes alone may not be enough. There are additional, evidence-based options worth discussing with your physician or a genetic counselor.
Chemoprevention refers to the use of medications to reduce breast cancer risk in high-risk individuals. Drugs such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, and aromatase inhibitors have been shown to meaningfully lower risk in appropriate candidates, though each carries its own benefit-risk profile that warrants an individualized conversation. For those at very high risk, prophylactic (preventive) surgery, such as risk-reducing mastectomy or oophorectomy, is another option some individuals choose after careful deliberation with their care team.
These decisions are deeply personal and depend on your specific risk factors, health history, and values. What matters is that you know these options exist and feel equipped to ask about them.
Breast cancer screening: an essential part of prevention
Lifestyle changes and risk-reduction strategies work best alongside a proactive screening plan and the right plan depends on your individual risk level. For women at average risk, the American Cancer Society recommends beginning annual mammography at age 40, with screening strongly encouraged by age 45. For those at higher risk, conversations about screening should begin earlier, often as young as 25 to 30, and may include additional imaging such as breast MRI.
Risk stratification, determining whether you fall into an average, intermediate, or high-risk category, is the foundation of a personalized screening approach. If you haven’t had that conversation with your healthcare provider, a good starting point is a formal risk assessment using a validated tool, combined with a thorough review of your personal and family history.
BCRF-funded researchers are advancing this field directly by developing smarter screening strategies and identifying who needs what level of surveillance and when. Earlier, more precise detection is one of the most powerful tools in breast cancer prevention—and it begins with knowing your risk.
Next steps and support
Understanding your risk is the first step. What you do with that knowledge is what matters most. Whether that means making gradual lifestyle changes, scheduling an overdue screening, or having a more detailed conversation with your doctor about your family history, every action counts.
BCRF is dedicated to advancing the science that makes these recommendations possible. From studying the impact of diet and exercise to uncovering genetic risk factors and developing new methods for early detection, BCRF-funded researchers are driving progress every day.
Every hour of research brings us closer to prevention. Support BCRF today to fund life-saving breast cancer research.
Frequently asked questions about breast cancer prevention
There is no single guaranteed method, but research consistently links several modifiable factors to lower risk: maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, staying physically active, not smoking, and eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. For individuals at high risk, chemoprevention medications or surgical options may also be appropriate—a conversation best had with your healthcare provider.
Breast cancer prevention spans three areas: lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise, alcohol, weight), chemoprevention for high-risk individuals (medications such as tamoxifen or raloxifene), and screening and early detection strategies. Lifestyle changes are relevant to nearly everyone; chemoprevention and enhanced screening are typically guided by a formal risk assessment.
This warrants a discussion with your doctor. High risk is typically defined as a lifetime risk of 20% or greater, often based on factors such as a BRCA1/2 or PALB2 gene mutation, strong family history, or certain prior diagnoses. Your doctor can advise you about risk assessment tools—such as the NCI Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool—which can help estimate your personal risk level. And a genetic counselor or physician can help interpret the results and guide next steps.
Lifestyle risk-reduction strategies are beneficial at any age. For annual mammography screening, the American Cancer Society recommends that women at average risk can choose to begin annual mammography screening at age 40 and to begin no later than age 45. For those at higher risk, screening conversations with your doctor should begin earlier—often at age 25 to 30, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative’s diagnosis age.
Selected References 
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American Cancer Society, Inc. (2024). Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024–2025. https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures/2024/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures-2024.pdf
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