Emerging evidence suggests women who are exposed to harmful environmental exposures, especially during certain critical periods across the lifespan, may increase their breast cancer risk. Such windows of susceptibility (WoS) occur throughout a woman’s lifetime, during which she is especially vulnerable to the effects of harmful environmental exposures. This interaction makes the reduction of harmful environmental toxicants during those time periods a priority for community health promotion. Communicating about environmental exposures and their impact on women’s health requires an assessment of sense-making around, and understanding of, the link between breast cancer and the environment. To that end, focus groups were conducted to assess the themes that emerge when women make sense of (a) their own breast cancer risk, (b) the environment-cancer connection, and (c) WoS. Results provide insight into how women understand these issues which can inform messaging strategies focused on reducing harmful environmental exposures. Implications are discussed within the context of communication efforts tailored to educate women, particularly mothers with daughters in the prepubertal and pubertal WoS who are particularly vulnerable to harmful environmental exposures.

新出现的证据表明，接触有害环境的女性，尤其是在生命周期的某些关键时期，可能会增加患乳腺癌的风险。这种易感性窗口(WoS) 在女性的一生中都会发生，在此期间，她特别容易受到有害环境暴露的影响。这种相互作用使得在这些时间段内减少有害环境毒物成为社区健康促进的优先事项。就环境暴露及其对女性健康的影响进行交流需要评估围绕乳腺癌与环境之间联系的理解和理解。为此，进行了焦点小组讨论，以评估当女性了解 (a) 她们自己患乳腺癌的风险，(b) 环境与癌症的联系，以及 (c) WoS 时出现的主题。结果提供了关于女性如何理解这些问题的见解，这些问题可以为专注于减少有害环境暴露的信息传递策略提供信息。