--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having the BRCA mutation significantly…" description: "\"Having the BRCA mutation significantly increases the risk of breast cancer, but it is not always the only factor. Lifestyle choices may increase or dec..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/dean-ornish-2921_blame_having-the-brca-mutation-significantly-i_438938.jpg" --- # Having the BRCA mutation significantly increases the risk… ![“Having the BRCA mutation significantly increases the risk of breast cancer, but it is not always the only factor. Lifestyle choices may increase or decrease the risk of breast cancer, but that knowledge is an opportunity to empower ourselves, not to blame.” quote by Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/dean-ornish-2921_blame_having-the-brca-mutation-significantly-i_438938.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/dean-ornish-2921_blame_having-the-brca-mutation-significantly-i_438938.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/dean-ornish-2921_blame_having-the-brca-mutation-significantly-i_438938.jpg) > “Having the BRCA mutation significantly increases the risk of breast cancer, but it is not always the only factor. Lifestyle choices may increase or decrease the risk of breast cancer, but that knowledge is an opportunity to empower ourselves, not to blame.” [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genetic risk raises susceptibility, yet lifestyle can modify overall breast cancer risk, offering empowerment over fatalism. **In simple terms:** Genes raise risk; lifestyle can lower it. Key Takeaway Use knowledge to adopt healthier habits. Themes health genetics empowerment prevention Mood hopeful determined Type educational motivational When to use this quote - consultation - diet changes - exercise planning - stress management Key Concepts epidemiology risk modulation patient agency Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance genetic awareness with proactive lifestyle changes? - What habits would most reduce your personal risk? A Different Perspective Genetics set a baseline but cannot guarantee outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame/) [Brca Mutation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brca-mutation-1088301/) [Breast cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breast-cancer/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Having Brca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-brca-3853067/) [Increases Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increases-risk-306879/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Lifestyle choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifestyle-choices/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Risk Breast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-breast-286324/) ## Related quotes > [Lifestyle changes may help reduce risk, but no study has shown that lifestyle changes alone can eliminate the risk of breast cancer, especially in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/lifestyle-changes-may-help-reduce-risk-but-no-study-has-shown-that/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [No one has all the answers, so whatever a woman who has the BRCA mutation chooses to do requires courage and an element of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/no-one-has-all-the-answers-so-whatever-a-woman-who-has-the-brca/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [“Results from a prospective study of 25,892 Norwegian women clearly showed that consumption in excess of 750 ml of whole milk a day leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bodo-melnik/results-from-a-prospective-study-of-25-892-norwegian-women-clearly/) [Bodo Melnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bodo-melnik/) > [The most significant and alarming consequence of early maturation is an increased risk for breast cancer in adulthood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/the-most-significant-and-alarming-consequence-of-early-maturation-is/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [Being exposed to high levels of radiation can increase a man's risk of breast cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-exposed-to-high-levels-of-radiation-can-increase-a-man-s-risk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. I started with the breasts, as my risk of breast cancer is higher than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/i-made-a-decision-to-have-a-preventive-double-mastectomy-i-started/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [Men are at risk for breast cancer as well. That's absolutely true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-varshavski/men-are-at-risk-for-breast-cancer-as-well-that-s-absolutely-true/) [Mikhail Varshavski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-varshavski/) > [“red wine (one glass a night) five nights per week—unless you’re at high risk for breast cancer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-agus/red-wine-one-glass-a-night-five-nights-per-week-unless-you-re-at-high/) [David B. Agus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-agus/) > [“Giving a baby anything other than breastmilk before six months increases the risk of infection, allergy and even death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/giving-a-baby-anything-other-than-breastmilk-before-six-months/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [The risk of developing carcinoma of the lung increases steadily as the amount smoked increases. If the risk among non-smokers is taken as unity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/the-risk-of-developing-carcinoma-of-the-lung-increases-steadily-as/) [Richard Doll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-doll/) > [Nearly every BRCA mutation carrier's main concern is how to avoid the fate of relatives who have had, and possibly died from, breast or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-funk/nearly-every-brca-mutation-carrier-s-main-concern-is-how-to-avoid-the/) [Kristi Funk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-funk/) > [The choices you make each day in your diet and lifestyle have a direct influence on how your genetic predisposition is expressed - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/the-choices-you-make-each-day-in-your-diet-and-lifestyle-have-a/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [An Asian way of eating and living may help prevent and even reverse the progression of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, prostate cancer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/an-asian-way-of-eating-and-living-may-help-prevent-and-even-reverse/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [In business, your positive thoughts and lifestyle choices lead to your personal success and your career success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/in-business-your-positive-thoughts-and-lifestyle-choices-lead-to-your/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [Healthy food and lifestyle choices are the foundations of weight loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-rosenthal/healthy-food-and-lifestyle-choices-are-the-foundations-of-weight-loss/) [Joshua Rosenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-rosenthal/) ## More by Dean Ornish > [People don't dislike change, they dislike being changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/people-don-t-dislike-change-they-dislike-being-changed/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Think about it: Heart disease and diabetes, which account for more deaths in the U.S. and worldwide than everything else combined, are completely preventable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/think-about-it-heart-disease-and-diabetes-which-account-for-more/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [There's a tendency to dismiss anything having to do with love and intimacy in medicine because it's hard to measure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/there-s-a-tendency-to-dismiss-anything-having-to-do-with-love-and/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [No one has all the answers, so whatever a woman who has the BRCA mutation chooses to do requires courage and an element of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/no-one-has-all-the-answers-so-whatever-a-woman-who-has-the-brca/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [The power of the Internet is also its limitation - it provides access to large amounts of information without providing guidance on how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/the-power-of-the-internet-is-also-its-limitation-it-provides-access/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Anything that takes you out of the context of being separate is healing. Anything that takes you out of the context of separateness is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/anything-that-takes-you-out-of-the-context-of-being-separate-is/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Nobody wants to feel controlled or treated like a child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/nobody-wants-to-feel-controlled-or-treated-like-a-child/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [An Asian way of eating and living may help prevent and even reverse the progression of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, prostate cancer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/an-asian-way-of-eating-and-living-may-help-prevent-and-even-reverse/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [The healing power of love and relationships has been documented in an increasing number of well-designed scientific studies involving hundreds of thousands of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/the-healing-power-of-love-and-relationships-has-been-documented-in-an/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [When I use the word spirituality, I don't necessarily mean religion; I mean whatever it is that helps you feel connected to something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/when-i-use-the-word-spirituality-i-don-t-necessarily-mean-religion-i/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Eating a vegetarian diet, walking (exercising) everyday, and meditating is considered radical. Allowing someone to slice your chest open and graft your leg veins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/eating-a-vegetarian-diet-walking-exercising-everyday-and-meditating/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [An educated patient is empowered; thus, more likely to become healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/an-educated-patient-is-empowered-thus-more-likely-to-become-healthy/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Real power is not given to us or even created; real power is realized. It comes from realizing an inner sense of peace, self-worth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/real-power-is-not-given-to-us-or-even-created-real-power-is-realized/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [In a global economy, the Bush doctrine of unilateralism - going it alone - has been disastrous. It's becoming increasingly clear that we're all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/in-a-global-economy-the-bush-doctrine-of-unilateralism-going-it-alone/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) > [Getting through the day becomes more important than living a long life when you have no one else to live for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-ornish/getting-through-the-day-becomes-more-important-than-living-a-long/) [Dean Ornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) [Explore all 145 Dean Ornish quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-ornish/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-like-to-praise-and-reward-loudly-to-blame-quietly/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [Some of the things that I said I hated to say, but blame yourself mother fucker you made it this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedi-mind-tricks/some-of-the-things-that-i-said-i-hated-to-say-but-blame-yourself/) [Jedi Mind Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedi-mind-tricks/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) [Nurnizz95](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nurnizz95/) > [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-aronofsky/i-try-to-live-my-life-where-i-end-up-at-a-point-where-i-have-no/) [Darren Aronofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-aronofsky/) > [How come you don't feel that magic in the air? I guess I knew you'll never be there. I guess I knew you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-come-you-don-t-feel-that-magic-in-the-air-i-guess-i-knew-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am down mentally. I can't understand how it happened and who is to blame? I don't know why the ground was rolled before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yeasin-khan/i-am-down-mentally-i-can-t-understand-how-it-happened-and-who-is-to/) [Yeasin Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yeasin-khan/) > [A refusal to admit one's mistake & not accepting responsibility for that mistake by blaming everyone else, is d beginning of one's decline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-refusal-to-admit-one-s-mistake-not-accepting-responsibility-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Listen, the guy was not created by coverage from MSNBC and CNN. If you want to blame us for making Donald Trump president because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/listen-the-guy-was-not-created-by-coverage-from-msnbc-and-cnn-if-you/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) [Browse all 3,779 Blame quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Having the BRCA mutation significantly increases the risk of breast cancer, but it is not always the only factor. 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