Cancer & Environment Forums

What does the science say about toxic chemicals and cancer? In a series of forums, physicians and other healthcare professionals learn about environmental risk factors for cancer and strategies for prevention.

Increasingly, patients want to have conversations with their doctors about environmental risk factors for cancer, yet many healthcare providers are unaware of the science or have had little training in this area. The Cancer & Environment Forums were created to help close that gap. Through these CME-accredited workshops, clinicians learn about the evidence linking environmental chemicals and cancer while building practical skills for discussing environmental risks with patients. The forums also support clinicians in engaging with communities and policymakers to advance strategies to reduce harmful exposures and prevent disease.

Silent Spring Institute is committed to educating healthcare professionals about the role of the environment in cancer and other chronic diseases so that this knowledge can be integrated into clinical practice. In 2022, Silent Spring helped spearhead the first Cancer & Environment Forum, hosted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in partnership with UMass Lowell, the Cancer Free Economy Network, and other institutions. Since then, the institute has help organize additional forums with Columbia University, strengthening clinicians’ knowledge and confidence around environmental health and fostering new collaborations between scientists, healthcare providers, and advocates focused on cancer prevention.