The ecology of breast cancer picture

Posted on February 19, 2014

Dr. Schettler is a leading voice in understanding how we interact with our environment and the impact it has on our health. He joined us to discuss the insights and analysis of his new book The Ecology of Breast Cancer: The Promise of Prevention and the Hope for Healing.

Breast cancer is a public health issue as well as a social justice issue. To fully understand the complex health inequities in breast cancer, we need to understand and address the ecology of breast cancer. Dr. Schettler’s book is relevant to this issue because he looks at breast cancer as a “design problem” arguing that this disease is “not only a disease of abnormal cells but also of communities that we create and live in.”

Dr. Schettler examines the breast cancer epidemic through an eco-social framework, recognizing the ways that family, community, and societal experiences shape the health of individuals and populations. He writes: “Breast cancer is profoundly a public health concern, requiring a public health response. Thinking about this as an ecological challenge helps us identify multi-level interventions that will reduce breast cancer risk and improve outcomes after diagnosis.”

The Ecology of Breast Cancer with Ted Schettler Webinar slides