My Letter to Editor-Pink Ribbon Hoopla vs. Breast Cancer Truths

DivineMrsM

I shared this on the stage iv forum, and someone asked if I would also post it somewhere else on the boards so that more people would see it. I wrote a letter to the editor of my local newspaper and it was printed on October 4, 2014.

---

To the editor:

The ever-increasing flood of pink ribbon products and promotions during October, breast cancer awareness month, overshadows important information about the disease. Here are some facts. First, there is no cure for breast cancer. Breast cancer kills 40,000 Americans a year. That is 109 deaths a day.

Another fact: early detection does not equal cure. Having breasts removed, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone treatment is still no guarantee you are cured. Even when found in early stages and treated, 28% of all breast cancers progress to end-stage, metastatic breast cancer. Using 5-year survival rates is misleading because metastatic cancer can develop 10, 20 and 30 years or more after initial diagnosis. An additional 6% of women are diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer from the start because the disease can progress unpredictably. Ninety-eight percent of all metastatic breast cancer patients die from the disease. This side of breast cancer is mostly ignored during October in favor of positive survivor stories.

More facts: We do not know how to prevent breast cancer. Even women with healthy lifestyles and diet can and do get it. Mammograms do not prevent breast cancer. Awareness does not provide prevention or a cure.

Another reality is that many companies only sell pink ribbon products to boost profits, giving little or no donation to reputable breast cancer organizations. Consumers buying pink items to show support should know how much money from their purchase is donated and verify that the organization receiving the money distributes it in ways truly benefitting those with breast cancer. Anything less has little meaning.

The party atmosphere often surrounding pink ribbon promotions and campaigns conceals the harsh, devastating effects of breast cancer. We are not celebrating a holiday. This is not a sporting event where the side wearing the most team colors wins. Many women afflicted by breast cancer are troubled with how the pink marketing culture has distracted us from the goal of a cure, and as someone diagnosed with the disease in 2011, I feel the same way.

Move beyond the crazy antics, comical slogans and commercialized aspects of breast cancer awareness month. Press for more accurate breast cancer screenings, for money to be allocated for research for a cure and not simply awareness; for increased research dollars for metastatic breast cancer which is grossly underfunded, and for legislation mandating that 100% of cancer research results be published in cancer journals for all to benefit from the findings.

Awareness alone is insufficient. Finding a cure requires effective, intelligent action.

sas-schatzi

Thanlks, Divine . Great article for this time in hostory.You are powerful writer. Well done