Climate Therapy: Sustainability Solutions for Breast Cancer Care in the Anthropocene Era

Abstract

Climate change is the greatest threat to human existence. Currently it impacts breast cancer care by disrupting treatment, by food poverty and economic hardship and through fossil fuel pollution which increases breast cancer incidence. These impacts are greatest in those already experiencing deprivation. However, healthcare (including breast cancer care) is not an innocent bystander in climate change. The carbon emissions of healthcare are equivalent to the continent of Africa with 1.5 billion people. Like all other enterprises healthcare has an obligation to move to net zero carbon emissions. Previously conducted studies of healthcare professionals have highlighted the role of guidance documents to facilitate climate engagement by them. This prompted the formation of an interdisciplinary group to review the intersection points between breast cancer care and planetary health. A solution tree of sustainable solutions for practicing clinicians is proposed which can be integrated into daily clinical practice and into their personal lives.

Keywords: Climate toxicity; Planetary Health; Toolkits; Tree of sustainability.