THURSDAY, Oct. 8, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- While most women are aware of modifiable factors to reduce breast cancer risk, there is a significant gap between awareness and action, according to the results of a survey released Oct. 1 by the American Cancer Society.
The survey included data from 33,000 participants in the long-term Cancer Prevention Study-3.
Findings revealed that nearly all women (99 percent) understand that a family history of cancer raises risk. Knowledge was lowest for breastfeeding, with only 55 percent of women knowing that breastfeeding could help lower cancer risk. More than 9 in 10 women (91 percent) know that low physical activity levels raise cancer risk, yet only 27 percent meet the American Cancer Society recommendations of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week. Similarly, 85 percent of respondents know that alcohol use raises the risk for breast cancer, but 69 percent report some level of drinking.
"Knowing your risk factors isn't the same as acting on them, and this gap is the real story here," Alpa V. Patel, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society, said in a statement. "It's not enough to raise awareness -- we have to understand whether awareness translates into action, and how we can help women close the distance."
