BREAST CANCER BROUHAHA

BREAST CANCER BROUHAHA:
(Victim Thinking, Irrational Thinking, Egocentric Thinking, Wishful Thinking, Group Thinking, PC Thinking)

"Pink culture is ubiquitous. We are surrounded by pink
ribbons that raise awareness about breast cancer and urge
women to be screened against this deadly disease. In the
marketplace, we are bombarded with "pink" products - pink
sneakers, pink kitchen mixers, and even pink buckets
of friend chicken - all designed to raise awareness and
funds for breast cancer research and education. But is
"pink culture" the best means to these ends? Are we doing the best
we can to fight breast cancer? Ellen Leopold, A Darker Ribbon: A
Twentieth-Century Story of Breast Cancer, Women, and Their
Doctors, (Boston:  Beacon Press, 1999) vii.

The excessive brouhaha and focus on Breast Cancer is the most emotionally volatile
issue involving MissLed women's wishful and irrational thinking.  Much like the
controversy over vaccine safety, this is a subject where emotional reasoning is
all-too-common.  Since this is very sensitive, almost sacrosanct
subject matter, few dare to critically discuss and the recent overwhelming
amount of corporate and private "support" and fund raising to "fight" breast cancer.
What is insufficiently examined is whether all of this time
and money is being spent efficiently. In truth, corporations have arguably
benefited more than patients.  Some score major PR points with their customers
by "supporting" Breast Cancer research or "awareness." Others make huge profits
from the increased use of mammography equipment and purchase of pharmaceuticals related to Breast Cancer fears.
The cancer establishment also fuels this mania with well-funded, relentless
publicity campaigns for early  detection.  The truth is, while much
of this is well-meaning fundraising, a significant amount is not.
Too much is actually cynical corporate profiteering, PR, and showbiz
opportunity. Concerns about the "Pink Ribbon Culture" include:

"The upbeat message of breast cancer survivorship, and the 'normalization' of
the disease, specifically the suppression of any feelings
that might destabilize  upbeat social interaction." Gayle A.Sulik, Pink Ribbon Blues,
(Oxford:  Oxford U. Press, 2011) 237.

"Pink Ribbon culture has turned breast cancer into a consumer
item: you can buy branded products or wear the brand...You
can feel good about yourself because you think you are
supporting efforts that will end breast cancer. The reality
is more complex..." Gayle A. Sulik, Pink Ribbon Blues,
(Oxford:  Oxford U. Press, 2011) 56.

"2/3 of women diagnosed with breast cancer are sixty or older, yet media highlights younger
women's perception of risk." Dan Gardner, The Science of Fear, (NY:  Penguin, 2008) 157.

Young and old, MissLed women are often at the forefront of this "fight."  They see themselves as
warriors or "sheros" who courageously fight to "raise awareness" about, or "find a cure"
for breast cancer.  They don't understand that they, in fact, are part of a huge corporate PR campaign:

"The (pink ribbon) culture exaggerates the benefits of
mammography, supports an industry that makes huge profits,
and promotes the images of the "shero" survivor that doesn't
fit the experience of many women." Ellen Leopold, A Darker Ribbon: A
Twentieth-Century Story of Breast Cancer, Women, and Their
Doctors, (Boston:  Beacon Press, 1999) 56.

Despite all the brave talk regarding Breast Cancer, ironically, it is fear that remains
MissLed women's most serious vulnerability.  Positivity is encouraged - even expected -
even in the face of danger and painful treatments often their
chosen reaction to what they misperceive as a very high risk.
The "cheer" culture of breast cancer includes plenty of cheerleading and forced cheerfulness.
All of this feel-good focus, good intentions aside, has significant costs to the very
women it is intended to support and aid:
"women's' issues and consumerism cloud clear thinking."
"...fighting the good fight" has taken precedence over winning
the war."
"...fear-mongering that leads to over diagnosis and
over treatment."
Skeptical Inquirer, Volume 25, Issue 3, "Two views of the War on Cancer, " by Harriet Hall,
Book Review of "Pink Ribbon Blues"

Author Ellen Leopold noted the emotionally intense focus on Breast Cancer
as early as 1999:

"There is no public forum now in which breast cancer is not at home.
It has been taken up as a cause by celebrities of all stripes
(politicians, entertainers, sports figures). Its emotionally-appealing stories
are thoroughly and regularly aired in all media.  Pink ribbons
adorn the chests of thousands of Americans, a measure of the
success of the breast cancer activism of the 1990s.  There is
hardly a community in the United States that has not participated
directly in some fund-raising or consciousness-raising event
organized by groups of women at the local, regional, or national
level."  Ellen Leopold, A Darker Ribbon: A Twentieth-Century
Story of Breast Cancer, Women, and Their Doctors, (Boston:  Beacon
Press, 1999) 2.

Despite this sea of pink, sadly, no cure is in sight. The various treatment
and detection efforts remain flawed. Supporters usually have no idea
how much of the money they spend on pink products goes toward
legitimate breast cancer treatment and research. Breast Cancer is a horrible disease and a
cure would be great, BUT, society would be wiser to put the money and
focus into research for the PREVENTION of this cancer.
MissLed women often are quite public in demonstrating that they supposedly care
very much about this cause.  In many cases, this is demonstrated by a mere gesture - wearing a
pink ribbon or going to a pleasant fundraiser.  They eagerly attend fun functions such as
"run for the cure," or, more often, "shop for a cure."  These painless actions allow
them to feel righteous and emotionally satisfied without a significant sacrifice of
discomfort or time.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/02/cancer-positive-thinking-barbara-ehrenreich

WHY DOES THE BREAST CANCER BROUHAHA MATTER?
In spite of all of the feel good, well-intended fundraising and
socializing, however, it is not established that there's tangible progress with improving
survival rates among women with invasive breast cancer:

"A woman diagnosed with invasive breast cancer gets more
treatment now, but still has about the same
chances of dying from the disease as she did 50 years ago."
Gayle A. Sulik, Pink Ribbon Blues, (Oxford:  Oxford U. Press, 2011) 159. 

One of the worst most unfortunate results from the  Breast Cancer brouhaha is that the most benefits are not being gained for the most people for the money.  Indeed, other deadly cancers and
debilitating diseases don't receive an appropriate amount of attention - and hence, funding.  Even worse, the excessive and unwarranted attention and too-frequent misinformation involved can potentially lead to unnecessary fear, anxiety, and suffering:

"Many women have undergone surgery and chemotherapy for a lesion
that would never have caused them any harm." Gayle A.Sulik, Pink Ribbon Blues
Oxford:  Oxford U. Press, 2011) 56.
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Breast Imaging, 3e (Philadelphia, PA: Lipincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007)
 By Daniel B. Kopans
"One woman in eight who is age 20 today will develop breast cancer if she lives to
the age of 85, and many more women are living to these older ages than ever before." 2.
Studied and funded to death, but not understood:
"Breast cancer is one of the best-studied human tumors, but it remains
poorly understood...It is not possible to accurately predict who will develop
breast cancer." 2.
"Fortunately, despite the great fear that it induces in our society, breast cancer
is actually one of the better cancers to have (if it is ever "better" to have a
cancer). The majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not die for it
but from some other cause.  Even with minimum or no therapy, as many as 60% of
those diagnosed with breast cancer will not die from it." 2.
"The American Cancer Society has estimated that a woman has approximately 1 chance
in 207 of developing breast cancer by the age of 39. By the age of 59 1 woman in 24
will have been diagnosed with breast cancer. By age 79, 1 woman in 13 will have been
diagnosed with breast cancer, and, if she lives beyond age 79, her total lifetime risk
of developing breast cancer will be 1 in 7 (14% lifetime risk)...The fact that a woman has
a 1 in 7 chance (14%) of developing breast cancer over her lifetime has been highly publicized.
Fortunately, most women are actually substantially less likely to develop breast cancer.
On the basis of sex alone (female), women in the United States have a baseline lifetime
risk of about 4% to 5%.  Sub segments of the population are at additional risk, and these
women, when combined with the general population, elevate the total average lifetime
risk to 1 chance in 7 (14%) of developing breast cancer during the course of a lifetime." 89.