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Does it seem like we see pink ribbons everywhere these days?  I think by now the pink ribbon’s symbology is very familiar to most Americans, and people support fundraising efforts for breast cancer awareness and research.

But how much is too much?  In other words, when does the ubiquitous nature of pink ribbons and focusing on breast cancer begin to take away from other charitable needs, research and awareness?  That’s precisely the question that a recent MSNBC article has investigated, revealing some startling statistics in The Politics Behind the Pink Ribbon.

“Some advocates for research into other diseases, and some scientists, worry the breast cancer movement is hogging the spotlight — and the money — at the expense of other worthy causes.”

“In the world of cancer charities and government funding, breast cancer is queen. The top four breast cancer charities take in a combined annual revenue of roughly $256 million according to their tax returns. The largest breast cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, had a total revenue of $161,974,711 for the year ending March 31, 2007 according to its tax return.”

“The National Cancer Institute (NCI) devoted $572.4 million researching breast cancer in 2007. Other National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for breast cancer boosted the total spent on the disease to $705 million. Plus, the Department of Defense operates its own breast cancer research outfit at a cost of another $138 million in fiscal 2008.”

Let’s see… that’s over $840 million on breast cancer research in 2007…

“By way of comparison, in 2007 the NCI spent $226.9 million studying lung cancer, the leading cancer killer in the U.S., and $73.3 million studying pancreatic cancer, which kills nearly as many patients as breast cancer, usually within a year of diagnosis. Cardiovascular disease, the biggest killer of both men and women, received $381 million.”

The article goes on to show how lobbying efforts provide rich rewards to research groups where “disease advocacy” is important to bring in funding.  But why does breast cancer research funding reach such greater levels of awareness and engagement?   Suprisingly they state it’s because breast cancer victims live a lot longer than other cancer victims.

“Breast cancer organizations have another advantage: many breast cancer patients live to become an army of walking, letter-writing, TV-appearing advocates. Nearly 90 percent of women with breast cancer survive the disease at least five years.
On the other hand, “pancreatic cancer patients are dead,” points out Barron Lerner, professor of medicine and public health at Columbia University, author of a book called “The Breast Cancer Wars.”

It does leave one wondering why there isn’t more balance across America for these needs.  And no one dare questions the feminist aspect of that matter either.  But are prostate cancer needs any less?  Pancreatic, lung, or colon cancer?   It might seem that many cancer diseases are simply not as fashionable.  People don’t want to talk about colon cancer or prostate cancer as readily.  And what about lymphoma or the various childhood cancers and diseases?  Let’s face it, in a world where “what we look like” reigns supreme, breast cancer awareness is going to have the largest share of media attention.  But perhaps the focus has reached a point where many people have begun to question this attention.

“The saturation of breast cancer awareness has left even some survivors dismayed. Writer, social critic, and former breast cancer patient Barbara Ehrenreich has called the movement “an outbreak of mass delusion,” and “a cult.” 

The products — teddy bears, pink-ribbon brooches, and so forth — serve as amulets and talismans, comforting the sufferer and providing visible evidence of faith,” she has written.

That sounds a bit strong if you ask me.  But how can any other cancer disease advocacy group compete with that?  Some say it doesn’t matter, and that any gains in breast cancer research are bound to help other cancer research efforts.  Hopefully that is true.  Yet maybe in a world where curing cancer is the primary goal, regardless of the type, we will focus more on all the needs rather than just one, bright pink ribbon.  

Filed under: News and Ideas, Promoting Change