Take the Fright Out of Breast Cancer™

We can feel like peons or whoever we like here, but the fact remains that management have a long history of ignoring us. With the community, it's the opposite. It has a long history of supporting all who come here, from newbies to those doing late stage treatments.

Over the years many thousands of posts have been written on this board about how much most of us hate the way that breast cancer is presented in October, how breast cancer is trivialized in the promotions, and how the focus is too much on awareness (male breast cancer being an exception here) and not enough on a cure. People are led to believe that if only we got screened, breast cancer could be prevented (or at least it would be caught early enough to be certain to be cured). And the realities of breast cancer are often not accurately presented.

the real question is, why did BCO ever have come up with this promotion and think that it would be okay? Judging by the past, they will likely just ride it out and then keep doing whatever they please.

Dear Micmel

Well said and good insights. Thank you for sharing your experience visiting BCO.

I completely agree that fundraising is vital to find a cure. But it's not my impression that this is BCO's mandate (finding the cure). I do think the message is important out there, especially for an organization whose raisond'être is to provide information and resources. I think that the realities of breast cancer must be represented properly by each and every one of us to create the right urgency among those who don't truly understand all that bc is or isn't.

I concur that the subject matter is sensitive and that in any very public campaign with many stakeholders there will always be some dissent. However, when the din becomes a roar, there is something going on. I'm not on this thread because I'm an armchair critic or because I want to watch BCO go up in flames or because any of this is fun. This is an important organization doing a lot of good.

I simply believe the campaign is blatantly inappropriate and setting us back a decade in terms of public messaging. I think a good and powerful campaign is within reach and I think words and branding do matter. They matter a lot precisely because we do desperately need a cure and because this IS so sensitive a topic.

Thank you, though, for bringing some order back to the 'house' here

ok let's go back to basics - Breast cancer vampires and bats do not belong on the same slogan!

Any which way you put it.

It's not a subject for dissent, it is just plain silly.

Furthermore what would the Community say if the slogan is

" Take the fright out of lung cancer!"

" Take the fright out of glioblastoma"

" Take the fright out of pancreatic cancer"

Not so catchy ahh?

Why not ?

They have a worse prognosis at initial diagnosis? Those are the scary cancers...??

Does the slogan

Take the fright out of breast cancer

Send out the message that breast cancer is somehow softer, it will not kill you, you have more options, maybe not even cancer after all just a chronic illness ...??

What has been HARD won with breast cancer - and remains elusive for many stage 4 women/men can not be dismissed by saying...ohhh but you are probably going to be fine, don't be frightened - show up for your mammogram.

All suffering matters.

And in my opinion HOW you raise funds counts - because what you may get feel you are getting away with today, might come to bite you in the butt/ bat 😱 tomorrow.

I think most of us would have been more philosophical if BCO said - well you see Pfizer is crazy about bats and they will invest big time if we can just get the party going...now I am sure that is a PINK song

It's started and it will not be easy but there must be some way to turn this around.

From what's been stated as the intent of the campaign, "Take the Fright" would not send money in any direction likely to lead to cure. It's coming back into this website. There are other organizations that do channel funds toward research, but those organizations aren't what we're talking about. We're talking very specifically about BCO.

I agree with Nihahi on a very basic level. The ethics of how we conduct ourselves does matter. It matters in everything we do. My own day is filled with tiny decisions where I consciously or unconsciously weigh a choice that would benefit only me and hurt others versus a choice that would not benefit me but also would not harm others. Some of these decisions are little. Do I point out that the cashier gave me too much change? Do I let the driver in trying to merge? Some are not quite as little. Do I agree to the inconvenience of changing my follow-up appointment because there is a patient who needs to be seen urgently? Do I misrepresent my patient's history when referring for a limited service because I really want them to have it? Some are much, much bigger. Do I tell this patient my mistake harmed them? Do we do experiments on people who are going to die anyway? The process of using your, your organization's or your society's values to make these decisions is ethics.

In medical ethics, the first step is to clearly frame a question, and I can't see how that would be different in any other ethical dilemma (ethicists out there, correct me if I'm wrong). Our question here isn't whether scientists should take money from sources who have (intentionally or unintentionally) hurt patients if they are researching something that could cure disease. Our question is whether an organization that wants to improve its website should use a fundraising mechanism that offends and hurts some of its community.

From Outfield's post... "Our question is whether an organization that wants to improve its website should use a fundraising mechanism that offends and hurts some of its community." To which I would add... "...and helps to perpetuate a misinformed public perception that it's okay to celebrate a deadly disease by associating it with a holiday." It's not just that I and others are personally offended by it, but I feel it's in stark contrast to BCO's educational commitment. You cannot on one hand say, "We are the premier resource for factual information about breast cancer," while at the same time making a cutesy connection between breast cancer and Halloween. At least not IMO.

VL22 - The Community here has been very valuable to me. They basically held my hand and gave me wise advice while I waited to be seen by a lymphedema therapist after my lymphedema came on. I will always be grateful for that. I'm a little suspicious of what BCO is planning to do to their website since they've said they want to make it a "more personalized" experience - I don't particularly want a "personalized" experience, that feels creepy - but I recognize their right to change their website.

Deanna - absolutely. That's why it hurts me. Conflating a fun holiday for kids and a serious disease deeply insults me and the suffering I've gone through, but - you're right - the public connection of cutesy marketing ploys and this horrible disease helps nobody. "Oh, be glad you got breast cancer and not a serious cancer."'

HapB,

Thank you.

" it is wrong to tell the public that this cancer is not to be feared"

Is a very powerful statement.

If not convinced by the thoughts and feelings of those with breast cancer,

There is one more thought to consider?

Do you want to be seen as telling women not to really fear this, it's ok to postpone that check up, that mammogram probable does not need to be done before 50....and so on.

There are responsibilities with the reputation of such an organisation.

I found solace in this community

It is with deep regret that I write this.

well said traveltext. I am still

Shocked that this was even an idea! I read it a few times thinking I must have missed something. Breast cancer is very scary. Taking the fear out?????? Invalidates us a group .. we have every right to be fearful.., omg it is infuriating. Who came up with this idea? Someone who has stock in mammography equipment

HapB, the community was not consulted about the format of this campaign. Ages ago, the community was asked about their fears in relation to breast cancer. Many people here poured their hearts out Addressing this topic not thinking for a minute that somehow their fears would be morphed into a campaign linking fear of breast cancer with Halloween. This was unethical sleight of hand by management IMO, and we were duped.

naaah, could never confuse the individual women I was so privileged to glimpse at with a site/organisation..

Their kindness and generosity knows no bounds.

I just have to jump in here. Who the hell would wear a female skeleton on their bodies to show support for BC survivors? It's so macabre. Also, just to point out. While 30% of early stage will reoccur, that means that 70% never do. IMO that means 70% are cured after they end their treatments.

Edited to add: I'm in marketing as well and while I think the campaign may be a little insensitive towards some members struggles and battles, overall the campaign was meant to be lighthearted and fun and appealing to the positive. I personally have no issues with it at all. Using themes in campaigns to make them fun make donors wallets flow - so I completely understand why they chose Halloween / costumes. The wealthy love costumes and dress up. (I'm involved in a conference every year that has a 'ball' at the end and you will see all these wealthy senior people in the theme of the year - no matter how out there). Stage 4 women are NOT the audience, wealthy donors/corporations are.

I'm grateful for BCO, love their forums - though people get really spiteful at times - if this campaign helps them stay afloat, I support it.

There isn't an universal cure at all. However, many women are cured with the treatments. We do need a universal cure for all the cancers, but to suggest that no one is cured is inaccurate imo. Most medicines have a percentage of people they do not work on. My little cousin had Leukemia and the treatment she had 'cures' about 75% of all young patients. So would you suggest that those 75% aren't cured just because 25% fail to respond? I would say, most 'cures' are never 100% effective, including antibiotics. That doesn't mean they don't cure people... just not everyone. Women are 100% cured from breast cancer with treatment, we just have to wait decades to know which ones they are..

The 'cures' for most kinds of cancer are mostly brutal.

Lisey - " who the hell would wear a female skeleton to support BC survivors? It's macabre"

Your words not mine. I agree.

Please tell me what makes the skeletons, vampires and bats of Halloween and BC less macabre??

I understand the potential marketing ploy - lets get a whole lot of " wealthy senior people" sloshed at a party - I believe that is an outdated, plain lazy and ineffective tactic.

The wealthy stay wealthy because they know how to guard the significant portion of their money, even when in costume. You want to reach them - GET REAL! And start by not insulting their intelligence.

Mods - one of the threads I enjoy the most is Z's "Stage 5 MBC fitness".

The original post is very well researched, written and delivers science with a practical punch.

The thread is full of active women who live with this disease - and its vibrant with the fullness of their life despite MBC treatments and challenges - so it's positive.

It signifies hope and moving beyond a box or a diagnosis - it looks into the future.

The concept of stripping the stages out of BC, beyond that classification into genetic testing, immune-histopatholgy and so on is funky, current and to me very appealing.

At some point I am hoping to see a campaign - along the lines of breaking down/moving beyond the stages of BC - united we stand