McCormick ’96 Studies Causes of Breast Cancer

In No Family History (Rowman and Littlefield, 2009), Sabrina McCormick ’96 offers convincing and compelling evidence of environmental links to breast cancer, ranging from everyday cosmetics to industrial waste. She writes lucidly about the a growing number of experts who argue that we should increase focus on prevention by reducing environmental exposures that have contributed to the sharp increase of breast cancer rates.

McCormick also weaves the story of one breast cancer survivor with no family history of the disease into a powerful exploration of the big business of breast cancer—as drugs, pink products, and corporate sponsorships generate enormous revenue to find a cure. Money continues to be allocated for the search for a cure, and McCormick argues that the companies that profit, including some pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies, may contribute to the environmental causes of breast cancer. Her book reveals how profits drive our public focus on the cure rather than prevention, and also suggests new ways to reduce breast cancer rates in the future.

McCormick is a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society scholar at the University of Pennsylvania and an assistant professor of environmental science and sociology at Michigan State University. She is the director and producer of the independent feature-length documentary No Family History. Her web site is www.nofamilyhistory.org.