REALLY ANNOYED

Apparently the only reason for their existence is opposition to abortion.  They [http://bcpinstitute.org/home.htm] claim that having had an abortion is a major risk factor for having breast cancer -- in fact, they say abortion is "the single most important preventable cause of breast cancer."  Their page of "fact sheets" has six fact sheets -- all about the supposed risk for breast cancer posed by abortion, all by one author.

I don't want to get into a flame war about abortion here (I'm not expecting flames from you, Fairygurl! but possibly some who are strongly antiabortion) -- I just think, regardless of one's stance on abortion, it is low and creepy to exploit concerns about breast cancer as a cover for another agenda.  [According to the American Cancer Institute, extensive studies have shown no increased risk of breast cancer associated with abortion.]

are you saying Koman supports plan parenthood? Where can I get this info?

I googled it too, and along with their site came this link:

http://www.feministing.com/archives/006718.html

Its an article called "Lying Assholes of the Day". (Hey, it's not me, its google...)

I am catching on now, wish I had kept the link to a recent post like yours with some proposed doctor citing whacko evidence - his was that mammograms cause breast cancer.  Two excellent posters here (among others) answered, one gave this link from the CDC "Deciding Whether a Source is Reliable"

 http://www.cdc.gov/DES/consumers/research/understanding_deciding.html

The other excellent poster was a woman who had also read this other quack's info about mammograms causing cancer, so she never had a mammogram... and then found a lump and had a mastectomy.

And on a tamoxifen thread a poster was quoting another "source" that sounded so impressive and had another tricked out name saying that tamoxifen was bad for you, I forget what idiocy it was bleating...

And 501 3(c) is no assurance of anything.  At this point I am critical of ANY web site with 501 3(c) status- it means they want to collect money. 

The point is that these are all snake oil sales, cynical people feeding on the fears of innocent people usually for profit, but also for a sick agenda- who are terrified enough of cancer because there is no cure.  So they can say anything, especially whatever fits into someone's fears.

I am sorry you have these kind of people around you at a time when you need love and support- and the right information. The fact that it's not listed in your book should tell you something. Good thing you came here!

I, too, am sorry that you're dealing with such an insensitive SIL.  I guess the only thing you can do is steer clear of her re. any discussion of bc, and when you do see her, make an effort to talk about things that won't upset you.  I think it would be a waste of time and far too negative for you to try to change her.  If she's young, maybe more years of life experience will make her less judgmental.  It's just a shame she's wasting $$$ with folks who probably don't have any credibility to their theory -- at least not that I've ever heard from a respected medical researcher.  And, actually, the "nun's disease" makes more sense and ties into a known risk factor, which is not having children, or having pregnancies later in life.

I'll take a look at that video on Komen when I have a few minutes ~   Deanna

Deanna, I watched that clip too.  Awful.  I then looked up the 3 research papers they mentioned.  (The clip spelled one of the researchers' names wrong, BTW.)  All of those studies were of small groups, retrospective "case-controlled" studies -- they were from 1981, 1989 and 1994.  Larger prospective studies since then have found no increased risk for breast cancer associated with abortion.

Interesting -- one of those three studies ALSO found that "women with the highest body mass index" were at REDUCED risk for breast cancer!!!!  Also a finding that has been reversed by recent studies!

What was surprising to me was how many google hits I got about Komen/abortion -- this is apparently the "flavor of the month" (or year?) among anti-abortion activists. (Trying to run away as fast as possible from the horrible murder of Dr. Tiller in church in Wichita?)  So, again, fairygurl, I'm glad you posted about this, so I can be forewarned and forearmed against any emails from a few of MY relatives who might latch onto this !

Tina, I happen to agree with you!  I was never gaga about the Komen Foundation, and wondered where all the money went!  (The irony is that I think the fact that local Komen Chapters actually spend money to help women get breast care at Planned Parenthood sounds like one of the more effective things I've heard of Komen doing!)

My understanding is that Komen does not fundraise to provide direct services or specifically for research. They raise $ to give/grant to local organizations that provide breast health help/services to women who might not other wise have access to the care.