Pinktober

I need to link to Betsy de Parry's column "Breast Cancer Awareness: The Problem with Pink," which appeared on AnnArbor.com this morning. If you're a long-time Lympho Bob reader, you're familiar with Betsy; I link to her work often, because she's a sensitive and insightful writer about cancer-related issues (partly because of her own experience as a survivor of NHL).

In the column, Betsy talks about some of the issues she has with the way Breast Cancer Awareness Month is handled. The issues aren't new, and they're not Betsy's alone. But she does a nice job of laying them all out together in one place.

And I'll be honest -- when I bought bread last week, and the wrapper was pink, my first thought was, "Here we go again."

It's not that I'm against cancer awareness -- it's kind of a theme of the blog, after all -- but, like Betsy and a lot of other commentators, it seems like October has turned into something else besides a genuine desire to raise awareness. (The whole idea begs the questions -- who are we trying to make more aware? And in what way will buying pink-wrappered bread make me more aware of what it is I'm supposed to be aware of?) Is it really about awareness? Shouldn't it be about curing breast cancer? Does all of the pink merchandise really contribute something useful? Hard questions to ask, and doing so can make you a target, but they are questions that are being asked more and more.

As Betsy points out, the awareness campaign, in the end, might narrow what we know about breast cancer, and about all cancers. For example, the pink campaign shuts out men, who get about 1% of breast cancer diagnoses. Far from contributing to awareness, the pink color ends up making many men hide their diagnosis, since it's a "woman's disease," as emphasized by all of the pink everywhere.

Betsy also points out something I didn't know -- that women with metastatic breast cancer tend to be shunned by mainstream survivor groups. According the "Pink Elephant in the Room" Campaign, it's because these patients are considered beyond help. Little research money goes to helping their version of the disease.

And then there's the Komen problem. I've written about it before, so I won't rehash their problems with making political decisions without informing supporters first. Betsy points out their Trademark problems: they changed their name to "Susan G. Komen for the Cure," and have threatened legal action against anyone who uses "for the cure" as part of an event. ("Cookies for the Cure," for example, if someone is selling cookies to raise money for breast cancer.) Seems like their priorities are way out of whack. Instead of keeping the focus on the big picture, on the cure itself, they're worried about protecting their brand. It's all part of the pink blanket.

I wish I had better feelings toward Pinktober. Awareness is vital, especially with a disease where early detection can save lives. But it seems like a rethinking of things is in order.

Thanks, Betsy. Nice article.