working groups and public forums, recommendations were formulated for monitoring and protecting the public from harmful chemicals and for strengthening the public’s ability to participate effectively in environmental health decision making.29 The process used for the National Conversation was unique in the highly participatory approach used to engage and obtain input from a large and diverse group of stakeholders, including members of the general public. This approach can serve as a model for other national environmental health initiatives.31 2.5.4 IBCERCC Report This IBCERCC report differs from the earlier reports in that its charge focuses on ways the federal government can create new and innovative means to support research on the environmental causes of breast cancer. Chapter 3 provides information about the burden of breast cancer in the United States and the world. Chapter 4 provides a summary of major advances in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Chapters 5 and 6 describe the state of the science related to breast cancer and the environment. These two chapters include a review of the scientific literature, an analysis of the scientific gaps and opportunities, and identify the most pressing scientific questions that need to be answered. The Committee applies an animal-to-human approach in the review of evidence and in formulating recommendations by discussing ways that animal models can provide insights into human breast cancer development and the role of the environment in breast cancer etiology. Throughout the report, the Committee considers a transdisciplinary approach to research as the ideal, and this perspective informs our recommendations. A transdisciplinary approach is based on researchers working together, using a shared conceptual framework, and combining discipline-specific theories, concepts, and methods to address a common problem.32 The animal-to-human approach is described in greater detail in Chapter 5. The transdisciplinary approach is described in more detail in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 provides an analysis of federal and nonfederal organization exposures and developed recommendations to mitigate or eliminate those barriers. The Panel’s report considered industrial, occupational, and agricultural exposures as well as exposures related to medical practice, military activities, lifestyle (behaviors and practices that influence exposures to chemical and physical factors), and natural exposures. The Panel’s report concluded that the burden of cancer from environmental factors was underestimated and that there were many actions that industry, regulators, the public, and others could take to mitigate cancer risk from these environmental sources.30 The President’s Cancer Panel report is similar to this report in that it includes a review of the state of the science and formulates recommendations for both research and research agencies. The Panel report differs from this report in that it discussed all cancers rather than concentrating specifically on an in-depth evaluation of the environment and breast cancer. The 2009–2010 President’s Cancer Panel report also took a more limited view of lifestyle factors, discussing only those behaviors that are thought to influence exposure to chemical and physical agents. The IBCERCC report examines research on a broad array of lifestyle factors. In addition, the IBCERCC report considers the sociocultural experience as part of environment whereas the 2009–2010 Panel report did not. It is relevant to note that two other reports by the President’s Cancer Panel included a broader discussion of lifestyle and sociocultural factors for all cancers. 2.5.3 National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures In 2009, the National Conversation on Public Health and Chemical Exposures convened a leadership council and six working groups with highly diverse membership. Each working group prepared a report on a specific topic, including: (1) Monitoring, (2) Scientific Understanding, (3) Policies and Practices, (4) Chemical Emergencies, (5) Serving Communities, and (6) Education and Communication. In addition, 52 community forums were held across the 2-8 Breast Cancer and the Environment: Prioritizing Prevention 2 funding portfolios. This chapter offers specific recommendations to improve the research funding process to increase innovative, interagency, multidisciplinary investigations of breast cancer and the environment. Chapter 8 examines the translation, dissemination, and communication of research on breast cancer and the environment. Chapter 9 concludes the report and presents overarching recommendations and strategies for achieving those recommendations. Policy implications relevant to scientific inquiry, the research funding process, and research communication are discussed throughout the report. Most importantly, the report recommends establishing breast cancer prevention research as a priority and identifies strategies for increasing studies of breast cancer etiology and prevention. References 1. Howlader N, Noone AM, Krapcho M, Neyman N, Aminou R, Altekruse SF, et al. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2009 (Vintage 2009 Populations) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute; c2009-3 [updated 2012 Aug 20; cited 2013 Jan 7]. Available from: http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2009_pops09/. 2.