Topic: Feelings about breast cancer awareness month

Feb 10, 2017 06:43PM cliff wrote:

there are a lot of men who dont know that they can get it too. and a lot that dont know they have it already. unfortunately, men usually progress farther in the disease becase of never getting checked. most doctors do not check men during routine exams, but check women because everyone is aware of womens breast cancer. I would really, really like to have know sooner about my cancer growing to stage 4.

Feb 10, 2017 07:06PM - edited Feb 10, 2017 07:07PM by Traveltext

Most studies are showing male bc awareness in the community running at 30% as opposed to female bc at 100%. We have a lot of work to improve things for men who have, or are likely to have, this disease. Unfortunately pink charities are not doing enough to help men. I mean, if the figures were the other way around, there would be an outcry. Cliff is the perfect example of a guy falling through the bc cracks. My diagnosis was delayed for three months and I was not far off stage IV at the time. It's not the color pink I hate at all, it's the nonchalant attitude to this matter shown by bc charities and perpetrated in their publicity drives.

Aug 25, 2018 12:06AM JosieO wrote:

star, good to see your comments here.

I was initially flagged by mammography in December 2017, and as a result of some bumbling and missteps was not biopsied and able to move forward with surgery until March, when I found an outstanding surgeon who took me under his care, gave me a great oncology team, and I could finally feel that I would indeed recover from this nightmare called breast cancer.

Along the way, my friends did not hit me with what I call “pinkness” - no ribbons, no breast jokes. They knew I don’t like that. I think instead of the number of women who don’t find good doctors, who struggle to keep everything going, and who lack the small things - a call, words of support, a hug of caring, a listening ear when needed. I was fortunate-I had friends who gave me what I needed.

My focus in October will be to find ways to quietly help others- no pink or ribbons for me.

I am grateful for the good scientists and caring physicians that help us. They have my dollars and my support

Aug 25, 2018 12:29AM Meow13 wrote:

Just checked it out. I hate pinktober, I think they are starting to down play it. I particularly hate the image of bald is beautiful heads. As if you lose your hair then you are better.

Aug 25, 2018 08:39AM oxygen18 wrote:

There was a time when some stigma existed, around cancer in general, and BC in particular. I don't see much of that today. If BC awareness month has contributed to destigmatizing by making BC info widely available and BC survivors more visible, and perhaps helping establish good screening habits, then it is a good thing.

I do wish the color pink would not be used. Anything but pink. Maybe go thru the colors of the rainbow, one by one in seven yr cycles.

Also, just as it is in the best interest of BC survivors to encourage quality research, it is also in our interest to ensure that charity dollars are spent effectively. We need money for good quality research, and to fund more people as navigators and coaches thru the dx and tx process.

Sep 27, 2018 04:11PM ChiSandy wrote:

Nothing wrong with wearing pink in solidarity...provided it's followed by action: donations, fundraising, volunteering to help patients get to treatments, mentoring, advising, etc. If one buys a breast cancer support item during Oct., make sure that its proceeds get donated to a legitimate breast cancer charity, not just getting on the "pinkwagon."

Sep 27, 2018 10:31PM Meow13 wrote:

I hate BC awareness month.

Sep 28, 2018 12:50AM Meow13 wrote:

A friend of mine gave me a get well balloon and a bright pink bucket. I call it the pink puke bucket.

Aug 23, 2019 07:41AM hodgepodge wrote:

14 years ago I was watching TV during the glorious month of Pinktober. I saw one of those commercials reminding everyone to check themselves. That night in the shower I checked myself for the first time in I don't know how long. I felt a little hard bump. As soon as I felt it I had that jolt of panic. I immediately had my gyno schedule a mammogram. Nothing showed up on the mammogram but by gyno scheduled me with a breast surgeon to calm me down. The breast surgeon suggested a wait and see approach and I insisted on a biopsy because I was feelling so rattled that I found the lump right after seeing that commercial. She agreed even though she was sure it was nothing. She did the biopsy and sure enough it was DCIS. I had lumpectomy (and re-excision to get good margins) and 7 weeks of radiation and was left with VERY different sized boobs but felt "cured". I felt like I should be grateful for Pinktober because it encouraged me to check myself which I had not been doing. BUT I hated having that reminder. I wanted to push it out of my mind forever. Every pink thing I saw made me sick. Now, 13 years after having completed my treatment I was diagnosed with a recurrence that was IDC this time. Again, found by me and thankfully early. I can't decide what I think about pink. Do I appreciate it because it put me on the path to awareness and advocating for my own health? Or hate it for co-opting of cancer, sexualizing of the disease, corporate profiteering, and the whole pinkwashing phenomenon? Being diagnosed comes with a rollercoaster of emotions and the whole Pinktober thing does too.

Aug 24, 2019 07:17AM MountainMia wrote:

We all have a special ability to create breast cancer awareness year round. We all have knowledge and stories we can share that are unique and powerful. We can take advantage of opportunities as they arise, in small groups or one on one, or even in large group meetings occasionally. We have social media to share our stories, and to dispel myths, and to remind friends and relatives to check their breasts and get their exams.

And when it comes to October, we can also remind them that it's more efficient to make a donation directly to an organization like BCO, or ACS, or Hope Lodge, or the non-profit cancer clinic, than it is to buy a "pink" product that will have "a portion of profits" donated to an organization.

And we can remind our friends and relatives to vote for candidates who support research (SCIENCE!!) and health care access.

We have a lot of power if we choose to use it.

Sep 11, 2019 06:44AM edj3 wrote:

Traveltext love the site. I've really struggled with the sexualization of breast cancer, and the emphasis on female breast cancer. Not to mention the way it overshadows other cancers.

I was dx'd w/ melanoma in August 2017 and got exactly zero support on dealing with that diagnosis. The difference between that dx and the BC dx has absolutely infuriated me. Yes, I'm glad for the support now, since I'm female w/ BC. But what about all the other cancers? What about men w/ BC??

Sep 11, 2019 01:42PM AliceBastable wrote:

I've had endometrial, skin (basal cell, but one required a large Mohs surgery), breast, and kidney. I still get pissed about all the attention breast cancer gets. It's the glamour cancer, with all the pink fluffiness. Nobody gives a crap about the others.

Sep 11, 2019 01:55PM Traveltext wrote:

When you think about it, a month celebrating breast amputation is pretty gross. And turning this very traumaticsurgery into some sort of sexualized scenario is very weird.

Sep 11, 2019 02:45PM MountainMia wrote:

Agree that the sexualized, fluffy, party-like "awareness" campaign that takes over Octobers is revolting. However, I don't agree that there is undue emphasis put on breast cancer. I'm having a hard time finding my source, but I believe that for women, breast cancer is approx 30% of cancer incidents, and is by far the most common type of cancer for women. While no cancer should be ignored or downplayed, the prevalence of breast cancer as compared to others makes justification for the financial focus in support for research.

Consider this: I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Okay, so given that it's about 10-20% of breast cancers, and breast cancer is about 30% of women's cancers, TNBC is about 3-4% of women's cancers. Am I frustrated that there is a lot more research on ER+ cancers? You bet. Does it make sense? Of course. ER+ cancers are something like 65% of breast cancers. Of course most of the money should go there UNTIL science solves that riddle.

It's more upsetting to me that people (who fortunately don't have reason to know better) seem to think that all breast cancers are alike, and there is a 99% survival rate from them. People who continually say "I know ..." so-and-so who had "it" and they're just fine!! Hooray!! I am happy they are just fine. But we are not all alike. We don't have the same cancer, the same treatment, the same initial health status, or the same prognosis. It's not that simple for those of us on the inside of the story.

We who do know better could help counteract the PINK campaign by being straight and clear with those we're connected to. We can tell them about breast cancer, some truths about it generally and about our personal experience. But if we stay silent, all that people get is the marketing.

Sep 11, 2019 03:00PM - edited Sep 11, 2019 03:06PM by Beesie

Traveltext, but you miss the point. They are not celebrating breast amputation. Quite the opposite. They are trying to SAVE THE TATAs! (edj3, my apologies) And that is cause for celebration, right?

Just one little thing niggling at my mind that bothers me a bit. What about saving women's (and men's) lives? Aren't our lives more important than our breasts?

Seriously, every year you think it can't get worse, but every year it seems to. Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Everyone knows about breast cancer. That said, there is a lot about breast cancer that most people don't know. Yet the events seem to do their best to hide the true reality of breast cancer. That's what infuriates me. Everyone knows that breast cancer exists and yet most people are so ignorant about breast cancer, despite (or because of?) the pinkwashing.

How about making people aware of the fact that approx. 30% of people diagnosed with breast cancer do not survive it? Or that early detection and early stage, while a good thing, is no guarantee of survival. Or that metastatic breast cancer can be present on day 1 or might not present for 5 years or 15 years or even 25 years - too many people still believe that we are all home free after 5 years. Or that a mastectomy or even an a BMX does not mean that the cancer might not return, locally or as a metastatic recurrence. Or that an "all clear" on a screening mammogram, while a good sign, does not mean that you don't have breast cancer because, frankly, breast cancer screening isn't all that accurate. Or... I won't go on but I'll bet every one of us can add to the list.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if someone actually did breast cancer awareness right and educated people about breast cancer. But it's not all pretty and pink, so that's not going to happen

Edited to add: MountainMia, I agree with you but unfortunately no one wants hear the real facts. Breast cancer patients who want to speak out about the reality of breast cancer are going to spoil the party so we don't get invited. Yes, there is an occasional article in a newspaper or on the local nightly news, but it doesn't get further than that. Any platform we create gets little press and support. It's not like this hasn't been an issue for years - certainly since I arrived on the scene 14 years ago - and it's not like those affected by breast cancer haven't tried to influence the message. But we're no fun and no one wants to hear us.