Screwtober is almost upon us once again...

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  • cmdczc
    cmdczc Member Posts: 75
    edited September 2012

    Shelly,

    I agree, too many have lost lives to this terrible disease.  Lost a good friend and classmate in the late 1990's from bc, after only an 8 month battle.  I believe she would have had a fighting chance with the arsenal today, herceptin, tykerb, taxols, taxotere, navelbine, gemzar, etc.  All these have become mainstream in the last 6-10 years.  The protocols in 1987 were vastly different than today, and the diagnostic testing for ER/PR were just beginning to be routine protocol, but could only be done on larger tumors.  In the late 80's we were just starting to look at this growth factor now called herceptin.  

    Again, I realize the commercialization of our disease is disturbing to many, but I see it as pressure to provide more funding to research and pharmaceutical companies to get the drugs out on the market.

    Thanks for listening.  Got to go to work.  Have a good day everybody!

     Cindy  (Stage IIIa)

  • She
    She Member Posts: 503
    edited September 2012

    Pink Stinks. It's such a sham. The unsold Pinktober merchandise is wholesaled out and some of it is shipped to Africa. I'm lookin at you Kleenex. And how about the BC Charities that send an Administration Fee back to the US from third world countries? And how about those "personalities" who start off the walks? Do they fly first class and stay in a 5 star??? Uh huh. And what about how some of the charities boards travel and party their faces off? I think more transparent financial statements are in order...



    We need to start a Pink Revolution.



    I've been around since the pink ribbon culture was in its infancy. It disgusts me. I'm saddened, and ashamed that women who go out and walk and raise funds in good faith are often being taken advantage of. I found a way to put my time and money on the front lines, where it truly helps the people who need it most.



    Thanks for listening to my rant.

  • MandalaB
    MandalaB Member Posts: 111
    edited September 2012

    well said cla.

    something doesn't taste right when a company who makes a billion dollars just suing people for using the words "For the cure" which they own.
    If they were so for the cure, they wouldn't be so stingy with their millions and get out of the beds of the government ;)

    us cancer patients are commodities to so many corporations from plastic bracelet makers to big pharm.

    What would they have if they actually did cure it?

    No one to make money from. It's a thought.

    it's sick.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited September 2012

    Cindy, it's not the legitimate sites are are bugging us. It's the pink PJ's made in China that give NOTHING to Komen or any other cancer cause!! Companies like that are exploiting the use of the colour pink to get women to BUY thinking they are helping!! My hair dresser had, yep, pink clips. I asked her about them and she said they were for breast cancer. I said really? How much did the rep say was going to breast cancer? She said Uh, oh.....

  • cmdczc
    cmdczc Member Posts: 75
    edited September 2012

    Barbe,

    I get what you are saying.  I just hate to throw out all the publicity and research money making opportunities to denigrate the cheap commercialization of the cause.  I participate in the legit walks and buy products that do support the cause, and donate to ACS at each grocery trip this month.  This funding can turn this around in our lifetime, and hopefully, other devastating neoplasms as well.  

    Take care, have a good day everybody!

    Cindy

  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited September 2012

    And this awareness campaign, telling everyone to make sure they get there mammo. I was lead to believe i would be safe if i got mymammos yearly. Never heard about breast density. Never heard how very important monthly checks were. I told mt neighbor i had breast cancer, when i told her how important monthly checks were she said "oh i get my mammo every year"

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited September 2012

    Cindy: I hope to God almighty that there would be some improvement and not lump women in stages with the same treatment for each stage !!  I do know that Taxotere/taxol has been around a long time and also all the AI's, especially Tamoxifen.  My friend's mother took Tamoxifen in the early 1980's and succumbed to this disease after a second battle with it in 1985.  In my case, the diagnostic imaging in 2009 was not good enough to see a 6 cm tumor, so there needs to be better testing for people with dense tissue like me.  But now the latest is women with fatty breast tissue are just as likely to have their tumors go undetected also.  I give up. 

  • cmdczc
    cmdczc Member Posts: 75
    edited September 2012

    Shelly,

    Yes I am hopeful too that treatment will be better tailored to the individual tumor.  Research has come out that actually has segregated bc into 10 diffeent subtypes, not just the four most recently described.  This should lead to better targeted therapies.  Yes I agree that tamoxifen was out in the early 80's, but the testing for it was quite different then (I was in training then), and the diagnostic techniques for ER/PR are definitely better now.  Herceptin came mainstream about 2000 (?).   Anyway, yes, I agree free mammograms do not necessarily lead to saving lives; I too had 12 years of negative mammograms, even several months before my dx, and my 5.1 cm mass was nonpalpable by me, the surgeon, oncologist.  What could I have done, I probably should have insisted on MRI due to the density factor.

    Oh well.... Have a good night,

    cindy 

  • pupfoster1
    pupfoster1 Member Posts: 1,484
    edited September 2012

    Ugh, I try not to "buy" in to much of that "shit" (sorry mods) but it truly has become a money making machine for thousands of companies.   Now I am not bashing the ones that ACTUALLY give proceeds to our cause, but the pencils, erasers, candles, blah blah blah totally wear me down.   I plan on wearing BLACK throughout October and am personally dedicated to the SCAR project  wwww.Scarproject.org.  Breast cancer is not a pretty pink ribbon in my eyes, and this photographer David Jay just seems  to "get it".  I applaud those whom can go on with the pink ribbon and it meaning something, it DOES raise awareness, but those who REALLY want to see what BC is like will appreciate the Scarproject.  Please be forwarned the photos are raw and uncensored, but to ME personally it speaks my language.

    Take care all,

    Sharon 

  • weesa
    weesa Member Posts: 707
    edited October 2012

    Today a nearby ranch announced a special corn maze in honor of breast cancer. It is pink! A special hybrid corn was used, and in the fall the corn stalks turn bright pink. I can't wait to not see this. 

  • debbie6122
    debbie6122 Member Posts: 5,161
    edited October 2012

    Weez- Makes you wonder if it is genetically modified! I would be hesitant to eat it, although most foods now adays are. But I bet it looks pretty with all those ears of corn a bright pink!

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited October 2012

    Isn't that how they get that pink popcorn in the box? What was WITH that popcorn anyway????

  • caaclark
    caaclark Member Posts: 936
    edited October 2012

    I just went to the grocery store to pick up tomatoes and saw that they are selling pink lillies wrapped in cellophane with a huge pink ribbon on each bunch. There is also a sign that says: "Breast Cancer Lillies". Aren't lillies associated with funerals and death? Just wondering if I am the only person who finds this strange?

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2012

    Weesa -- how exactly does this corn maze benefit us?  And Pupfoster -- you said it very well.  I would like some plastic surgeons to visit the scar project site.  I guess we've probably made great progress in 50 years but there still needs to be more ! 

  • MandalaB
    MandalaB Member Posts: 111
    edited October 2012

    My favorite so far :

    the ribbon shaped pretzels with the display that says in a rugged cursive font : CRAVE THE CURE.

     who's that guy that brings ribbon pretzels to a party?? lol. 

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