Breast Cancer: Not Just the Problem of Rich Countries Anymore

Whenever I see fundraisers for breast cancer, like breast cancer walks and "Buy Pink" products, I tend to get a little case of "fundraiser jealousy". For much of my undergraduate degree, I've studied extreme poverty, and the diseases, humans rights violations, and the opportunity deprivations associated with it.

Preventable diseases--like malaria and dysentry--are some of the biggest killers in Developing nations [a term which some scholars dispute because it implies that those countries are, in fact, developing, instead of the more accurate portrayal that they are being mired deeper in poverty].

Maternal Death claims approximately 536,00 women a year (99 percent of which occur in Developing nations), and most of the deaths are also completely preventable. (And of course, this number doesn't include the annual70,000 unsafe abortion deaths that mainly result from the criminalization of abortion.) I thought about breast cancer as a "rich nation's disease," and begrudginly glared at "pink products" wondering if they were made in sweatshops that expose women to dangerous cancer-causing chemicals.

Recent studies, however, show that breast cancer is on the rise in developing nations (my first thoughts: That means their life expectancies are increasing to the point that they can get old enough to develop breast cancer!)--and that breast cancer affects women in developing nations about 10 years earlier than in industrialized nations (Shoot! I guess not. *runs in corner and cries.* )

What makes matters worse is that approximately two thirds of women are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread. Apparently there's a stigma attached to breast cancer; women are reluctant to get tested because they fear that if they lost a breast, their husband would leave them--which would force them into a situation of deeper poverty. (If that sounds like a nasty thing that could only happen "somewhere else," I'm afraid I have to refer you to Salon.com's article Sex without Nipples in which that theory is sorely refuted.) Estimates say that developing countries will experience a 36 percent increase in breast cancer by 2020, and that 55 percent of the world's expected breast cancer deaths this year will occur in developing countries.

So. Turns out breast cancer is not just a "Rich Nation's problem." My personal misguided theories are hereby flung out the window, and maybe my fundraising jealousy will subside. Talks are even beginning about starting an international task force that will develop methods to detect breast cancer earlier (through training midwives to detect breast cancer) and negotiate lower prices for generic chemotherapy. Whether or not these efforts meet with success is testy--they're sure to meet with opposition from governments, currently installed health professionals who have biases against midwives, and cultural norms.

Whether or not the cure for breast cancer, once discovered, would be shared with women in developing countries is a question we'll have to face once we get there. Considering our record in helping out developing nations with their preventable deaths, however, I'm not too optimistic.

Photo Credit: The Mayor of Worldwide Breast Cancer on flickr.com

Double-Standards Much?

So, evidently, Viagra is turning 10 (via Jezebel). That's nice. I'm sure a lot of middle-aged men, led by Bob Dole, are very happy with an entire decade of reliable erections.

I would also imagine that the drug companies who've managed to get erectile dysfunction covered by the insurance companies (the same folks who have rejected covering birth control for decades and charge women up to 50% more for simply having a uterus) are quite happy with this milestone. While women are taking the brunt of the financial burden to cover their medical expenses and make up for their pre-existing ovum, I'm guessing no one is even pondering the notion that ED could be considered a preexisting condition - but I digress.

Take a look at Pfizer's very special birthday tribute to Viagra, and let me know what you think.

Special, huh? One might assume that the Pfizer's conspicuous luminary erection would, pardon the pun, get a rise out of the same people who went after ABC7's recent breast self exam expose... Then again, maybe not.

What are your thoughts?

OMG! Breasts on TV!

Don’t get your panties in a twist just yet. We’re not replaying Janet Jackson’s ‘accidental’ over exposure during the Superbowl. WJLA ABC 7 aired a news segment called “Touch of Life” which was aimed at educating women on the importance of self-breast exams and how to do them. Breast Cancer is one of the leading killers among women and ABC 7 has set out to inform women on how to fight it, in a “full frontal” news report.

A portion of the segment was dedicated to instructional footage of a woman, partially nude, doing a self-breast exam. The segment was done “tastefully, very clinically… everything is instructional” according to reporter Gail Pennybacker. However, the news report was not without criticism.

Critics of the news report claim that it is “exploiting women to exploit the audience.” Give me a break! I’m with reporter Julie Parker on this one: ““There’s nothing sexy about this, it’s a self-breast exam.” Other critics find that this was more-or-less an attempt to boost ratings at the beginning of “Sweeps” month, a period when news channels air their most eye catching reports in order to increase ratings and, thus, attract more advertisements. WJLA’s General Manager Bill Lord responded to these comments by saying that “Yes, this is an attention-getting story, but it's also an important story.” (Washington Post)

Important indeed. Surprisingly enough, most women don’t know how to do a self breast exam. In order to effectively educate women, WJLA decided to “bare all.” General Manager Bill Lord said that after consulting with medical experts, WJLA decided that news reports on breast-cancer detection “haven't offered enough detail” to be an effective educational tool.

Health Insurance doesn’t cover routine mammograms until the age of 40 and so for those in their 20s and 30s, self-exams are absolutely vital; breast cancer knows no age. Those who are criticizing WJLA for his report need to take a step back and think about what the message of this report is. This was not a distasteful attempt to increase ratings, it was purely an attempt to educate and inform. I’m proud of ABC 7 for airing this report and realizing how important it is to be educated and truly understand Breast Cancer and how we can prevent it. Furthermore, ABC 7 plans to air the remaining segments of the report; Lord says that “"The public benefits of this will outweigh any criticism."

If you're like most women and do not know how to do a self-breast exam, click here to watch the segment and get educated! Warning, this video contains adult content. View discretion is advised.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It’s that time of year again… breast cancer awareness month! Thousands of women and men spent 3 days walking 60 miles all over D.C. this past weekend to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Participants walked 20 miles each day and camped out along the route at night. Collectively the walk raised over 5.5 million dollars for global breast cancer research and local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment. My hat goes off to the incredible individuals who participated. Click here to learn more about the walk OR register to walk in 2010!

Okay, so that being said, time to get down to the nitty-gritty. Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in American women and the second major cause of death after lung cancer. I’m sure you’ll be inundated with facts this month, but here are few to get things started:

* One out of eight women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime.
* There are approximately 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.
* One woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes, and one woman will die of
breast cancer every 13 minutes in the U.S.
* About 80-90 percent of breast cancers in women without symptoms will be detected by
mammography YET only 51.2 percent of women 40 and older report having a mammogram
in the last year.
* The 5-year survival rate for female breast cancer survivors in the U.S. has improved from
63 percent in the early 1960s to 89 percent today.

While Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a fantastic educational and fundraising tool, breast cancer awareness should not be relegated to something we only think about in October every year. Being conscious and raising awareness should be ONGOING, so make sure to get yearly screenings and encourage your loved ones to do so as well!

*Shout out to Christina Fields for letting me use her photo and for doing an amazing job in the walk!

Photo Credit: Christina Fields

Healthcare Reform = American Women Will Die?

Puh-lease. The Independent Women's Forum, a conservative, anti-feminist organization, just launched a new ad campaign with the sole purpose of telling women that health care reform = death. Death for women with breast cancer, more specifically.



This outrageous and deceptive ad will be broadcast in 8 battleground states, including Colorado, Indiana and Nevada.

Never mind the fact that prominent breast cancer organizations such as The National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation all believe that reforming the health care system is key to increasing early detection and prevention.

What really gets me, though, is the featured woman's statement that, "My odds of surviving breast cancer were high because my care was the best." What about the 16.7 million uninsured women in the U.S.? What about the under-insured, or those whose breast cancer diagnoses were deemed "pre-existing conditions". Language like, "my care was the best", clearly seeks to give American women who currently enjoy (and I use that term loosely) the benefit of having health insurance, a false sense of privilege and safety, while simultaneously instilling a fear that their so-called privilege could be taken away.

American women currently have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world, and something must be done about it!

National Breast Cancer Coalition - Emerging Leaders

FMF friend and alum, Bree Romero, currently works with the National Breast Cancer Coaltion (NBCC) as the Field Operations Manager. As one of the organizers for NBCC's upcoming Emerging Leaders program, Bree wanted to be sure that we got the message out to the Feminist Campus community about this exciting event.

Here's what the NBCC has to say:

EL Application Deadline Extended to September 10^th!

Today, one in eight American women are diagnosed with breast cancer. The National Breast Cancer Coalition believes you can help change those statistics for your generation. We invite you to join the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s new Emerging Leaders program to eradicate breast cancer and to attend its inaugural meeting on October 18-19, 2009 in Washington, DC.

To change the systems that impact all of us and fight back against breast cancer, we need you to get involved and be a part of breast cancer activism and health care reform. When you join Emerging Leaders, you will be connected with other people across the country just like yourself.

In EL, you will be trained to be advocates for issues that affect both your state and the nation. You will be taught how to lobby effectively for breast cancer legislation needed to ensure that the right research is pursued and that the health care system works for all of us.

Please join us on October 18-19 in Washington, DC as we launch the Emerging Leaders Initiative. We invite you to take part in a day of workshops with leaders in the field and young leaders like yourself to discuss current legislation and policy concerning breast cancer, spend time on Capitol Hill and help shape this new and exciting branch of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. For additional information and to register, click here. Remember to make your hotel reservations. Contact Sharon Ford Watkins at sfwatkins@stopbreastcancer.org for more information.

Misogynist of the moment: IRS

STBU, breast cancer survivors.

Mothers who cannot breastfeed due to mastectomies may not list baby formula as a pre-tax medical expense, according to Newsweek.

The Internal Revenue Service categorizes infant formula as food, which would be a personal expenditure, not a medical expense.

FAIL.

Team Feminists for the Cure: BAMFs

Happy hump day! The rain clouds have temporarily parted here in DC, for which we're grateful.

Several members of the FMF family are participating in the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure, and we wanted to invite you to join us! Activists in the DC Metro area are particularly encouraged to walk with us. The 5k walkathon will be Saturday, June 6 at 8:15am on the National Mall.

It's not too late to register and join our team, Feminists for the Cure. Anyone is welcome to join, so bring a friend! If you aren't able to walk with us, please donate to Komen for the Cure on our behalf.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure conducts education and research toward treating and curing breast cancer. Proceeds from the race will go toward breast cancer screening, treatment and education in the DC area, and toward cancer treatment for underserved women abroad.

Invite your friends to the Feminists for the Cure event on Facebook too:

http://snurl.com/fb2ndbase

Want to tweet about the race? You can use the hash tags #breastcancer and #globalrace.

Contact team captains Val and Danielle at 703-522-2214 if you have any questions or suggestions, or email us at dgeong@feminist.org. Thanks for your support and we'll see you at the race!

And a quick plug for the Shirts for a Cure project, which sells t-shirts from indie, rock, and metal bands to raise money for breast cancer treatment for underprivileged women in DC, Chicago, and LA. They'll be walking in the SGK race too, so if you see them be sure to say hi.

Cheers,
Danielle and the FMF campus team