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[quasigeek]

I'm really, really getting sick of "breast cancer awareness."

1) We're perfectly aware of it by now.
2) What about other cancer?

How did breast cancer awareness become this big thing? It's like every company has some "pink" product going toward this mysterious "cancer research" and who even knows what that means? Why the focus on breast cancer

Comments

[cirobi]

The breast cancer thing is big for me because that type of cancer has hit way too close to home on a number of occasions. My aunt is a survivor, so I have to be more on guard for it. But, you're right in that other cancers should get more attention. Frankly, I wish I was rich enough to donate to multiple cancer organizations.

The thing with breast cancer is that it's so treatable and entirely too many women will find a lump in their breast or feel something weird and ignore it rather than get it checked. A couple people close to me have had family die from breast cancer because they didn't bother to get checked. Other cancers aren't as easily caught by something simple like a self examination. You should hear some of the stories my MiL comes home with as she works in a breast health center. Testicular cancer is a lot like breast cancer in that regard. If I knew of a testicular cancer walk or organization, I'd be all on supporting it because of Alex's dad. Which makes me realize... I should look into that because maybe there is one. *ponder*

PS. I'm still not the biggest fan of pink. I only sport it now because of the breast cancer stuff I've gotten into.

[quasigeek]

I'm just annoyed that breast cancer is, like, the only one people care about. If testicular cancer is just as easy to detect, why don't we lecture men to feel up their balls? Why is it so different?

My grandparents both died of cancers that no one talks about. And honestly, I don't want the awareness. I don't want the media to play up, say, uterine cancer and then remind me once a year that my grandmother is dead because of it. I'd be perfectly fine with a general "cancer awareness" campaign to take care of yourself and go to the doctor. I have no interest in donating money to "research" and I don't want to pry "survivor" stories out of people who had to go through it. It disgusts me.

Ugh I just get worked up over this. I didn't mean to vent.

[cirobi]

Nah, it's cool. Everyone reacts differently especially when it comes to family dying of these things. Me personally, I'd probably be even more heavily involved in advocacy and fundraising had my aunt died from breast cancer, but that's just me. I don't know why, but stuff like that lights a fire under my ass to try to help somehow. But, not everyone is like that. Really... I often wonder if I should have tried to go into the medical field. I've always been fascinated by it and it's a direct way to try to help people. Ah well, I do like what I do... and that's a whole other set of meandering thoughts.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that there isn't a general "cancer awareness" campaign because of the fundraising efforts since research isn't done on cancer in general, but each different type. There may be similarities between them, but genetically the cancers are different. That's how they're able to identify when someone has two different types of cancers affecting the same organ. Not to mention when the metastasize to other muscle. Bleh... it all sucks either way.