Think Pink: Busting the Breast Cancer Myths

About a year after my grandmother passed away, my aunt noticed that my pre-teenage cousin refused to drink bottled water or sports drinks; he adamantly insisted his water come from the tap or the Brita, instead.  While this might've just been a finicky adolescent phase, her mother's intuition told her something was strange here.

When my aunt asked her son what the deal was, he revealed that he'd read a warning on a MySpace bulletin about harmful chemicals in plastic packaging that were directly linked to cancer, especially if the containers were left in the sun for extended periods of time.  He also recalled that Granny always left half-empty bottles in the backseat of the car or in the fridge, and she sipped on them for weeks.  His innocent logic had led him to the connection that years of neglected Big Red and Ozarka bottles had killed my grandmother, and he was determined to save the rest of the family from a similar fate.

While this was a case of a child's naivete and a mother's consolation eventually got my cousin back to comfortably chugging Gatorade, this is not unlike situations grown people are faced with every day.

How many times has a well-meaning friend or co-worker sent you an email forward about "The Dangers of [fill in everyday appliance, chemical, grocery product]"?

We all want to protect our families, and when we hear reports of something being unsafe or harmful, we want to spread the word as quickly as possible. Oftentimes, though, those emails don't indicate who is reporting the information, where it's coming from, what research exists, etc.  We have to hop onto Google and look for some (reputable) resources ourselves.

On matters of breast cancer, I usually trust the Susan G. Komen Foundation or The National Cancer Institute. Below are a few breast cancer myths and rumors that I've heard, and the truth about them:

1. Plastic bottles can cause cancer:  First of all... no single factor has been proven to cause cancer, although some unhealthy behaviors and external factors may increase risk. The Komen site says: "Findings from laboratory studies have found that BPA [a chemical found in some plastics and coatings] can affect hormone levels in animals, although these hormone changes have not been linked to any harmful effects.² And, at this time, there is no evidence to suggest a link between BPA and risk of breast cancer.

2.Usage of deodorants and antiperspirants can increase risk of breast cancer. This rumor was floating the internet for a while, and I cringed while imagining the new sweaty, smelly America I would have to tolerate for the greater good. Komen reports that there have been no conclusive studies that indicate that chemicals in these products can deeply permeate underarm skin and damage breast tissue.

3. Wearing underwire bras increases your risk, because the wires compress tissue, allowing toxins to build up. I'm not going to lie, a teen-tiny part of me hoped this one was true. I'm sure Victoria's Secret execs were quivering a bit, but I was ready to bring on the circa-1960's bonfires! A pair of medical anthropologists felt so strongly about it, they wrote a whole book called Dressed to Kill! Reportedly, there wasn't any solid medical evidence to back it up. I haven't read it, but I will check my local library. I am, at the very least, intrigued.

You can learn more about known risk factors at http://www.komen.org/, or even use this nifty risk-assessment tool from the Cancer Institute: http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/ (it only calculates for women over 35, though).

Think Pink:This One's for the Boys

Just last week, I was singing praises to the marketing gods who have organized breast cancer awareness efforts.  The campaign has such a strongly established brand identity. The entire country has been on board; even the president is lighting his house pink. 



Websites, posters, and commercials are fraught with photos of smiling women who are making it, who have survived.  The inclusiveness of the movement is obvious.  Most pictures feature a black woman, a fair-skinned woman, an olive-skinned woman.  A mother, daughter, grandmother. A businesswoman, a teacher, a stay-at-home mom. The message is clear. This disease affects women of every ethnicity, age, economic background. 

 Breast cancer does not discriminate--- but does breast cancer awareness?

The efforts focuses primarily on empowering, saving, and educating women. Our lense is zooming right past 1% of the affected population.

Testimony that Man Boobs need saving, too!



What about your father, son, brother?

While the majority of breast cancer patients are women, about 2,000 men in the U.S. are diagnosed with  breast cancer each year. Challengers say the national crusade has allowed men to fall to the wayside.  It could very well be that there are thousands more men who are annually contracting breast cancer, but have not been diagnosed because they are not performing self-exams or cannot identify symptoms.  In fact, one North Carolina man was even sent away when he requested a free mammogram at a local public health clinic.

It is an unusual marketing dilemma.  It is not often that a disease is so socially engendered, unless it is directly related to exclusive reproductive organs, like ovarian and prostate cancers.

Is it enough to target the larger population of diagnosees at the expense of the smaller population?

Are there ways in which we could include male-directed marketing in the existing format?

Or would it be most beneficial to dedicate an entire strategy to raising awarness for male breast cancer?

Wherever the verdict stands, it is important that individuals get educated and take charge in matters of personal health. Take the time today to remind the guys in your life of their risk.  This might even give you an excuse to rub up on your honey's pecs!

Resources on male breast cancer:

http://wildcat.arizona.edu/perspectives/gendered-treatment-of-breast-cancer-unfair-to-men-1.1690135


http://www.thedailyfairfield.com/wellness/breast-cancer-also-threatens-men


http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/male_bc/risk.jsp


http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/male-breast-cancer/DS00661

Think Pink: Breast Tests

I don't know about you, but I am in no way looking forward to the first time I have to be "embraced" by one of these:



Image found at http://www.cancerquest.org/



If you are unfamiliar with this contraption, it's a mammography machine.  Get familiar. You'll be up close and personal with one soon enough.

Or will you?

Over recent years, breast cancer awareness campaigns have championed the concept of early detection. Particular emphasis has been placed on self-examination and annual mammograms after age 40. The sooner you find the lump, the more quickly you can undergo treatment and be back on the road to a healthy life.  That's the concept.

However, there has been some Great Mammogram Debate in medical and scientific circles as of late.  Mammography is (a) uncomfortable at the least, (b) painful at most, (c) essentially pumping carcinogenic radiation directly into your breasts, and therefore possibly contradictory to its purpose.



Fortunately, though, all of those rallies, phone banks, and races for the cure have funded research and development of new avenues for cancer detection.

Christiane Northrop, MD and best-selling author, suggests thermography-- heat imaging of a patient's body.  It is a painless, safe assesment tool with the "ability to spot anamolies years before mammography," she says in her article in The Huffington Post. Nortrop says thermography can detect cellular discrepancies before tumors have had the chance to develop, which could give patients the chance to make lifestyle adjustments and possibly develop defenses against tumor development.  I'm no medical professional, but I like those odds.  Click here to read Dr. Northrop's full article. 

I was intrigued when I saw a newscast last night about a breast cancer breath test.  The experimental test uses what looks like a police breathalizer to detect organic compounds in a patient's breath and pinpoints those linked to breast cancer development.  While the test is not anticipated to replace mammography, it may be used to identify patients who may need mammograms before the suggest age of 50-- particularly those with a family history of the disease.  View the abc broadcast and full article here.

However you and your physician choose to perform your breast tests, it is important to be armed with information and to develop a strategy for prevention.

Know the facts. Know yourself. Test Early.

Seeing PINK

The country is going pink.  Every time I turn on the game, go to the grocery store, or scan my favorite celeb blogs, I'm seeing PINK!  

I've seen pink ribbon-laden snuggies, water bottles, cosmetics, candy bars--you name it! Honestly, a few years ago, I might have been completely oblivious to this colorful trend, but personal experience has made that pink ribbon a symbol of hope, strength, and even some sadness in my life.

If you know me, you undoubtedly know that I lost my grandmother to breast cancer in 2007, and that it was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with.  If you don't know me, know that I'm trying my hardest to work up the guts to fill you in on the whole story, and you might catch that in a later post.

What's important for you to know is that, while the color pink can make the concept of breast cancer seem powerful, feminine, and cuddly, the disease itself represents a harsh reality for a lot of people.  It can mean losing your hair, your breasts, and your feeling of feminity.  It can mean losing your physical strength and your independence. Breast cancer can mean losing your grandmother, your mom, your best friend.

For these reasons it is so important to raise awareness, raise money, raise your arms in the shower and do that self-exam!

For the month of October, I will publish a post at least a few times a week featuring ways you can do all three and contribute to the Power of Pink!

Stay tuned. Make a difference. Save Lives. Go PINK!