With October now at a close, it is important to reflect upon the positive impact of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, filled with breast cancer awareness campaigns, the sale of pink branded products, hundreds of fundraisers, and organizations sponsoring road races and walks for breast cancer charities across the country. These efforts have raised awareness for the disease and have funded educational endeavors and millions of hours of breast cancer research, enabling scientists to learn more about the disease and develop new treatments, screening techniques and preventative tools.
The month has not been without its critics, however. Some detractors have claimed the “pinkwashing” of breast cancer shifts the focus away from the illness and pain endured by those diagnosed with the disease. Other critics have called out some corporations, which are less than transparent with identifying where funds generated from pink purchases actually go, questioning the company’s financial motives. Despite its detractors, the bottom line is simple. Breast Cancer Awareness Month has a positive influence on our awareness of the disease, it provides a forum for education, and pink purchases contribute to research dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month was officially founded in 1985 as a way to encourage women to get annual mammograms. In 1989, Estee Lauder handed out 1.5 million pink ribbons in the first nationwide breast cancer awareness campaign. Since then, billions of dollars have been raised for the disease, and millions of people have taken part in events across the country.
This national recognition of breast cancer, however, was not always the norm. Historically, breast cancer was not something that was discussed. It was this mysterious disease our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends suffered and perished from, but one about which we still did not have an open dialogue. In the past, a diagnosis elicited complete despair. The general population of women had no scientific understanding of the disease, how it spread, or the options for treatment. Studies show that this pessimistic and uninformed perspective had a negative impact on quality of life after diagnosis and ultimate prognosis.
It wasn’t until 1974, when former First Lady Betty Ford announced her diagnosis of the disease, that a dialogue was ignited. Ms. Ford is credited with breaking the silence about breast cancer. She was followed by high profile women like Susan Sontag, Happy Rockefeller, Nancy Regan, and more recently, Angelina Jolie and Shannon Doherty, who have shown women (and men) who have suffered from the disease, or possess a risk for developing the disease, that they are not alone.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month highlights the fact that we now live in a world where we can celebrate survivors of the disease, we can contribute to the fight for a cure, and we can be inspired by the strength of our strong role-models who have come before us to fight breast cancer head on. Not only can we have candid conversations about the disease, but we can educate ourselves about breast cancer, how to minimize our risk, and how to live in a way that enables us to thrive. We are now able to advocate for ourselves and explore medical interventions that were never so readily available.
Since Breast Cancer Awareness Month was nationalized, breast cancer death rates have decreased by 36%. This can be attributed, in part, to early detection and advances in breast cancer treatment, largely due to the national dialogue we now have about the disease. It is also attributed to the education disseminated both during the month of October and beyond. We now know that we have the ability to make informed decisions, and that breast cancer does not have to be a disease that defines us or needs to be feared. Women who identify their breast cancer at the localized stage have a 99% five-year relative survival rate, and survival rates among women diagnosed with more advanced stages of the disease have seen a steady increase in five-year relative survival rates since 1975. Additionally, studies have shown that patients with the most optimal coping skills during treatments are those who possess better information regarding those treatments. They are also the patients with the least stress, depression, anxiety and highest quality of life. The data is clear – A month dedicated to education and awareness can not only save lives, but can also improve the quality of life in those diagnosed. This is positive.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month does more than just educate. It fosters engagement in all communities that have been touched by the disease. There are more than 3.1 million women alive in the U.S. with a history of breast cancer, each with networks of loved ones and acquaintances who have been adversely affected by the disease, both directly and indirectly. While the critics of Breast Cancer Awareness Month blast campaigns for ignoring the realities and suffering of the disease, they could not be more off the mark. The many individuals actively engaged in promoting awareness, participating in events, donating to organizations and sporting the pink merchandise sold by stores do so because they are all too aware of these realities. They have seen their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, colleagues and friends endure long and sometimes difficult treatments and surgeries. They have felt what it is like to lose someone close to them, and some have had to accept the reality that they might have inherited a genetic mutation that makes them more susceptible to developing the disease. They wear pink as a symbol of strength, of optimism, and of hope.
It is during this month that I feel supported as a survivor. I feel encouraged to share my story, to educate young women about the disease, and to share my knowledge of how others may develop positive behaviors to reduce their risk. I know that when I see people with a pink ribbon on their lapel or participating in an October event, they’re on “my team.” I know they support the research that is vital to finding a cure, and they support their friends and family members who are fighting the disease. This is community engagement and support at its best, and it conveys the reality and optimism that better treatments and a cure will be discovered. This is positive.
Some critics argue that people are already aware of breast cancer and we don’t need more awareness campaigns, but what we need is a cure. The reality is that some people need the annual reminder to schedule their mammogram. Some individuals need the emotional support of their community, and for the community to be reminded of what a horrible disease this is on an annual basis. Most importantly, we need the boost in breast cancer related fundraising that goes directly to research and educational campaigns that will lead to a brighter future for those who may develop the disease.
Critics of the month of awareness have spoken out against the “pinkwashing” of breast cancer, specifically criticizing the corporations that sell pink products or use pink to foster awareness for non-altruistic purposes. While a large percentage of those corporations and organizations do make major donations or direct proceeds to verified breast cancer organizations, some donate only a small percentage of profits from sales of these pink items, and others only display pink for the purpose of awareness, profiting from increases in sales due to pink purchase motivation.
Corporations give us a choice as to how to support the cause. We have the freedom to direct our purchase power in whatever way we wish. If a person chooses to purchase and use pink products symbolically in support of those fighting the disease, as a responsible consumer they have made that individual choice. If the purchase is made because proceeds are going to a particular charity, it is the responsibility of the individual to make informed purchases and support products and programs that benefit financially efficient nonprofit organizations, like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, where 91 cents of every dollar raised is directed towards research (88%) or awareness programs (3%). By supporting organizations like BCRF, individuals have made the choice to fund the researchers who are part of the force that will ultimately find a cure. Every dollar raised for research is a dollar that brings us closer to treating and preventing the disease, and for that we must be thankful that such a national campaign exists. This is positive.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is the spark that ignites candid conversations about the disease, provides platforms for breast cancer education, informs us how to minimize our risk, and provides information on how to live in a way that enables us to thrive. It is needed. It is a month that reminds us that we are all affected by the disease, and that we need to aggressively take the necessary steps to eradicate it. It serves a purpose. Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds those who have been diagnosed or are going through treatment that they are not alone and they have a support system and network in place. It should be embraced. And, of course, Breast Cancer Awareness Month helps to raise the much needed funds to find a cure. This is positive.