General Overview of Broadly Discussed Lifestyle and Environmental Factors Casually Associated with Breast Cancer Development

Abstract

Background: breast cancer represents a significant global health burden, with a complex etiology extending beyond genetic predisposition to encompass modifiable lifestyle and environmental exposures. A myriad of these factors are frequently discussed in both scientific and public domains, yet the evidence supporting these associations varies widely in strength and consistency. Objective: This narrative review aims to broadly survey and synthesize the lifestyle and environmental factors that are casually mentioned in relation to breast cancer development, providing a panoramic overview of these superficial associations without delving into deep mechanistic analysis. Main Discussion Points: The review thematically explores factors including dietary patterns, alcohol and tobacco use, physical activity, body composition, exogenous hormones, environmental chemical exposures, circadian disruption, and socioeconomic influences. It highlights well-established causal links, such as those for alcohol and postmenopausal obesity, while also presenting the more ambiguous and inconsistently supported associations for elements like specific dietary components and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Critical analysis underscores the methodological limitations inherent in the observational evidence base. Conclusion: The evidence for casually mentioned risk factors exists on a spectrum, with clear public health priorities emerging for risk reduction. Clinicians and policymakers should focus on advocating for interventions related to the most robustly evidence-based factors. The review calls for future research employing more rigorous, integrative study designs to clarify unresolved associations and advance primary prevention strategies.