"31 Truths" the Pink Ribbon Does Not Tell

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http://www.breastcancerdeadline2020.org/breast-cancer-information/31-truths/ (check out this URL for the complete history behind each of these Truths)

	Over 2 ½ million women in the United States have a history of breast cancer.
	About 40,000 women and 450 men die from breast cancer each year in the United States.
	Breast cancer accounts for nearly a quarter of all cancers in women worldwide.
	Men do get breast cancer.
	The biggest risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman and growing older.The average age of diagnosis is 61.
	Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.
	Most people think they have a higher risk of breast cancer than they actually do.
	While breast cancer mortality has gone down in recent years, too many women still die of the disease each year.
	The mortality rate from breast cancer is higher for African American women than for white women and women of other races.
	All breast cancers are not the same; there are different types of breast cancer.
	We do not know how to prevent the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body (metastasis).
	For the majority of people with breast cancer, treatment options have changed very little in the last 20 years.
	The treatments for DCIS and invasive breast cancer can themselves lead to severe side effects, including death.
	Early detection is not the answer. Finding and treating all Stage 0 breast cancer, or DCIS , will not prevent all deaths from breast cancer.
	In many cases, more treatment is not necessarily better treatment.
	Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) may increase your risk of breast cancer.
	There are many unproven and uncertain risk factors for breast cancer cited in the media and among the public.
	Most women who find their own breast cancer do so as part of normal routines (showering, getting dressed, etc.) not during systematic monthly breast self-exams.
	Mammography is not prevention. Getting regular mammograms does not prevent you from getting breast cancer.
	Five year breast cancer survival rates do not give an accurate picture of progress against breast cancer.
	Breast cancer awareness campaigns have helped move the disease from behind closed doors but have not had a significant impact on the incidence of Stage 4 disease or on mortality.
	To end breast cancer, research must focus on understanding how to prevent the disease from developing and on how to stop the disease from spreading to other parts of the body.
	We will not see a significant decrease in breast cancer mortality without a better understanding of breast cancer metastasis.
	Women with breast cancer deserve evidence-based treatments that have been proven effective.
	Once there is a cure, breast cancer will still not end until everyone everywhere has access to health care.
	The media do not always get it right when reporting on breast cancer.
	Your tax dollars fund a significant amount of breast cancer research.
	Breast cancer survivors can learn and understand science, and can help influence the direction of breast cancer research.
	Great scientific achievements have been accomplished in less than 10 years.
	Breast cancer advocates can—and will—lead an effort to end breast cancer by 2020.
	It will take collaboration among many groups and stakeholders to meet Breast Cancer Deadline 2020®.

 

Goin' Down to "Pink Town"!

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Below is an excerpt of a posting on a blog I follow: The Cancer Chronicles."  I truly relate to not only the author's (Anna) writing style, but her message as well. Anna is one of those virtual voices that make feel less alone as I navigate the multiple planes of incongruity that color the lucrative cancer industry. A putrid color of bubble-gum pink. I have also included my comment to her posting at the end.

Thursday, February 17, 2011 -Pink Town

A recent article in the local newspaper caught my eye; "Fair Haven to Become 'Pink Haven' in April." This year three of my neighboring towns will be taking part in a campaign known as "Paint The Town Pink". Red Bank, Monmouth Beach and Fairhaven, will all magically morph into Pink Bank, Pink Beach and Pink Haven. All in aid of, you got it....not research...but breast cancer awareness, prevention and promotion of annual mammography for women.

Most of my regular readers will understand when I say that my first reaction to this news was to emigrate. Somewhere far away. Like Mongolia. Or Siberia. Even Antarctica seems like an attractive option. But would these places be far enough? Perhaps I can find a spot on an upcoming space mission.

The pink festival will run from April 30 through May 7. In addition to certain town roads having a pink stripe painted down the middle of them, options for community involvement include:

"...placing a pink piggy bank in a business for donations, window painting contests, pledge contests, or hosting an in-store event during the week.

Residents could also participate through a "Pink Your House" contest where residents would be provided a "Pink Starter Kit" containing lawn signs, flags, and other decorations."

Yes ! Pink your town! Pink your roads! Pink your business! Pink your house! Show your community that you don't give a crap about other cancers, or other incurable diseases, or anyone else for that matter who might not feel comfortable with all this pinkification.

Then I thought, perhaps it's time I stopped being a snarky cynic. Maybe it's time to get on board with the breast cancer celebrations and really throw myself into supporting the towns' efforts in raising funds for more breast cancer awareness. Okay, so awareness won't ever result in a cure but let's not worry about such trifling matters for now.  [link to Cancer Chronicles from my profile page to read more...]

Anna - I am puking pink right now, just from reading what "Pink Haven" has in store. The irony is that all this "pink waving" campaign of awareness is exploitation and ignorance. Exploitation on the part of the orgs, companies, and retailers that turn a profit from the merchandising; and ignorance on the part of well-meaning individuals who join the pink fray without asking the key questions:
*  WHOSE CAUSE IS THIS TRULY SERVING?
*  HOW IS AWARENESS OF A WELL-KNOWN AND INCREASINGLY PREVALENT DISEASE TRANSLATING INTO TANGIBLE STEPS TOWARD FINDING A CURE?
*  WHY, DESPITE THE ONGOING PINK PARADES, ARE MORE WOMEN BEING AFFECTED BY BREAST CANCER?
*  WHY IS BREAST CANCER SUCH A LUCRATIVE NICHE INDUSTRY?

*  WHY IS IT THAT THE SAME COMPANIES THAT FUND TRIALS FOR "NEW CURES" SIMULTANEOUSLY PRODUCE PRODUCTS WITH KNOWN CARCINOGENS? I could go on, but I think I made my point. Anna, I applaud you fighting the "Pink Beast" in whichever way you can/choose. I believe that the Pink Beast truly does more harm, has a palpable chilling effect on a real discussion, and detrimentally distracts people from asking the truly critical questions about the epidemic of breast cancer.