why doesnt the media give nearly as much attention to other types of cancer as it does to breast cancer?
as someone who suffers from cancer, i can say im sick of all the attention towards just breast cancer alone. the donations are unbalanced...why can't we have a "general cancer fund" instead of garnering so much support and resource for only one type of cancer?
Cancer - 7 Answers
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1 :
Because boobs kick a**.
2 :
You know I asked this same question months back, since my sister died from colon cancer. I didn't get that many good answers and hope that you get better ones than I did. I totally agree with you, it should be a mutual fund raiser and distributed equally to each organization. Cancer is awful no matter what type you have. I wish you well and hope that your able to over come yours.
3 :
yeah it's not fair. They do focus a little more on leukemia too but mostly in children. I guess it's just because breast cancer is more common but that shouldn't stop other cancer groups from getting donations too!
4 :
I agree that awareness needs to be raised about other cancers, and while I hate 'competitive illness' I can see why there is resentment about an imbalance in awareness raising and fund raising. But the reason breast cancer has a consistently higher profile than other cancers is simple - sheer hard work. People who campaign around illnesses are usually concerned with the illness that's affected them or their family. I know a couple who have a child with a very rare and life-threatening condition (not a cancer). Much of their time is now taken up with campaigning around this condition - fundraising and agitating for more funding for research, more education, more awareness etc. Individuals don't have unlimited time, and choose their campaigns. Similarly, breast cancer awareness campaigns and Breast Cancer Awareness Month were started by ordinary women, most of them with breast cancer or who had lost family members to breast cancer, to raise awareness so that people knew the symptoms, examined themselves regularly, attended their routine mammograms etc. Enthusiastic participation and hard work by women made it grow into something nationally, then internationally, recognised (and then big business cashed in). There are other cancer awareness months, ribbons etc; but no cancer campaign has had the sheer hard work put into it that breast cancer awareness has. There are many fundraising events for other types of cancer, and the imbalance is sometimes not as great as your question suggests. For example, Cancer Research UK, the largest cancer charity in Britain, does not hold a national event specifically for breast cancer - they do hold the annual Race for Life which is exclusively for women - but this is to fundraise for cancer in general, not a specific cancer. They do, however, host a national series of runs for men only to raise funds and awareness for bowel cancer. Any group of people can start an awareness campaign for any illness - but if they want it to be as successful as the breast cancer campaigning, they'll have to be prepared to be as dedicated and work as hard. As someone in remission from breast cancer, I'm not actually a supporter of BC Awareness month and all the pink crap that goes along with it. I lean more towards the Think Before You Pink and Pink Stinks! campaigns, which were started by women with breast cancer too. http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/?page_id=13 But it does sometimes annoy me a little when people complain about the attention breast cancer receives in comparison to other cancers. The reason is hard slog by breast cance campaigners, and the solution is not less attention for breast cancer, but more attention for other cancers.
5 :
I agree with you. The Komen foundation is very, very well organized and spends about a quarter-billion dollars a year funding cancer research specifically for breast cancer. This represents probably around one-half of one percent of all cancer funding. The remaining 99.5% of cancer funding comes from national governments, especially the US government, and the pharmaceutical sector. Though it is a small portion of overall funding it is a very impressive sum for a grass-roots organization and it has most certainly raised breast cancer awareness. I don't think any of us have ever seen anything like the Komen. I wish there were some way to raise awareness without turning every teenage girl into a breast cancer hypochondriac, and I wish the formidable resources and organization of the Komen would branch out and focus on other cancers as well. In truth, many of the treatments developed to fight cancer will work on several different types, including breast cancer. Breast cancer remains a big problem in the world, but so do colon, lung, and ovarian, and prostate cancers. If you are unlucky enough to develop a cancer that is rare and not well studied there are few options for you. The big money, almost all the money, is going into the Top 5 cancers, including breast cancer.
6 :
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and by targeting breast cancer, they may be able to cure that one, then concentrate on the others. It's like a "sprinkle-spray" method--they can either pour all their efforts into one of the most common types and try to cure it or sprinkle the funds all over when the money wouldn't be enough to support any one program. I wish there was enough money to go around. I have stage 3 colon cancer, but it's not trendy to wear a brown ribbon.
7 :
I agree with you, but you have to understand. It wasn't always like this. Breast cancer used to be ignored. Think back to the emphasis that used to be put on "The Jerry Lewis" marathon for muscular dystrophy. I loved the way money poured into that. I wish there could be an equal amount of money for all org. but someone got fed up after loosing to many family members and decided on her own to bring awareness to women every where. It was through her very difficult work, tirelessly going from door to door, campaigning, until she and a lot of other women were heard. I believe that was for Susan G. Komen started by her sister when Susan died of breast cancer. Anybody can do this. If you want a specific cancer to be addressed and have funds donated to scientific research, then you be that one person to get the ball rolling. For breast cancer it took on courageous woman, so you be another courageous person. Stand up for your rights. Let your voice be heard that you want more funding to go to other cancer researches. If you don't want to do that, then you can't complain about it. This is how Danny Thomas started the St Jude Hospital for children. Yes, he had the money to build this hospital, but it took money to maintain it and he had to advertise and beg for money to keep this wonderful hospital open. Now his daughter, Marlo has taken over since Danny died. It doesn't matter how much money or fame you have, it's always going to take hard work and strong effort to something going. Maybe you're that person. I hope so. We need more kinds of cancer research and we need it now. God bless always
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