Concentrating On Cancer And The Cure

Today is the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you know me at all you know I am an advocate for cancer patients, survivors and  a cure for cancer so obviously I am in favour of a whole month focused on ANY cancer awareness. Early detection of breast cancer is important because it is the most prevalent form of cancer among women with 26.57% of female cancer diagnoses being breast cancer. The statistic for men is .25% of all cancer diagnoses. Although the statistic for men is far lower, it should not be overlooked. It is interesting to note that although the diagnosis of breast cancer is most prevalent among women, the number one cancer killer for women is lung/bronchus cancer with a death rate of 5.04 compared to just 2.84 for breast cancer.  These statistics* show early detection often leads to survival.
* Statistics from the National Cancer Institute www.cancer.gov.

I am all for the promotion of mammograms and other forms of early detection. What I am not all for are the images used to promote this. I think it is hazardous, misleading and insulting to suggest to women they need to be on guard for breast cancer so they don't lose their breasts. Everyone, female and male, should be on guard against breast cancer so they don't lose their LIVES. It is dangerous to suggest a woman is not a woman without her breasts. It is equally dangerous to suggest breast cancer is a female risk because females are culturally identified by their breasts whereas men typically are not.

One byproduct of this image of women leads some women to put off early detection for fear of losing one or both breasts. Another byproduct is leading some breast cancer survivors into undergoing additional painful, ELECTIVE breast reconstruction surgery. I am not saying I am against breast reconstruction surgery. That is an individual choice but it should be seen as a CHOICE, not as another step in the treatment process. We should shift the focus on early detection for survival and raising funds for actual treatment and a cure rather than bowing down to an outdated superficial image which is damaging to both the women and the men who develop this disease.