Breast Cancer? (cure, lung, time, detect) - Prevention, detection, treatment - City-Data Forum

djxpress · 03-24-2010, 09:57 PM

My question is this, why is breast cancer such a big deal? People die every day from testicular cancer, yet you don't see any blue ribbons, marches, or bumper stickers.

The only reason I can think of is that breasts are something that guys love too. Am I wrong?

joey2000 · 03-24-2010, 10:12 PM

On the dicey assumption that you really don't get what a tasteless thing that was to say and aren't a troll:

Yes breast cancer gets a lot of attention and I am no fan of the "Breast Cancer Awareness Month"/etc things but ONLY because it should be cancer in general vs specifying that one. Hopefully that's along the lines of what you're saying.

But to answer the question, being one of the if not the most common cancers and causing the most deaths might have something to do with it.

djxpress · 03-24-2010, 10:41 PM

No, I am not a troll, check my post history. But yes, I guess you answered my question.

My stance is that caner in general is a bad thing, but it seems the only type of cancer that gets any airtime is breast cancer. Is breast cancer the most common? I always thought it was skin cancer?

Honeycrisp · 03-24-2010, 10:59 PM

Any type of cancer is a 'big deal' in my book. Colorectal cancer is another one that gets a lot of publicity, I dont have a problem w/ that or any of the others for that matter, early detection=early cure.

photobuff42 · 03-25-2010, 12:04 PM

Well the thing is, if it gets attention, all cancer gets some attention. Another thing is, that sometimes the research can be generalized to other types of cancer. Oh, and men can get breast cancer, too.

Lastly, sometimes the cancer shows up in the breast, then matastizes to another place in the body. That's what my mom is going through right now. It's tough.

Why couldn't your orignal post been like your second one? Much nicer IMO.

djxpress · 03-25-2010, 02:34 PM

Yes, I agree, the way my question was phrased was kind of off-putting. But, I was trying to be concise and get some replies. I mean there really is a lot of (sincere) truth to what I was trying to ask. I know that cancer is serious business and nothing to joke about. But from what I've read, breast cancer isn't nearly as deadly as pancreatic cancer, Leukemia or lung cancer.

When I see all these marches with thousands of people wearing pink shirts and I see pink ribbons on cars, it makes me wonder. Why don't you see the same thing for pancreatic cancer which is the most deadly (even though it's rare)? There is no lung cancer awareness month, and lung cancer affects both men and women. There isn't a Skin Cancer March For The Cure. Honestly the only reason I can think of is because breasts are something that are very "marketable". Women have them, so they will march for the cure. Men being men - love them, so they will march as well. I never see telethons for skin cancer or testicular cancer. With all due respect, Martin Luther King was a historic figure, he gets one day. Breast cancer gets a whole month. I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness, but these are all things I've wondered.

So in summation, I guess I could have posted this whole rant as my first post, but who the heck would have spent the time to read it?

And photobuff42, best wishes to your mother.

songinthewind7 · 03-25-2010, 07:16 PM

Yep, all cancers are bad but I think breast cancer is one of the most common.
As far as the marches and walks, in my opinion, there are a lot of kick ass women out here including myself that want to make a stand and do something about our disease. One woman (Susan Komen) wanted to try to find a cure in memory of her sister and it goes on from there. I think there are so many women going through this that we have formed a sisterhood and want to speak out about it.
I wish there were more that spoke up about other cancers as well.

Beth56 · 03-26-2010, 07:36 AM

Approximately 400 men with testicular cancer die each year, compared to
approximately 40,000 women with breast cancer who die each year.

Perhaps that is why it is in the forefront.

djxpress · 03-26-2010, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beth56

Approximately 400 men with testicular cancer die each year, compared to
approximately 40,000 women with breast cancer who die each year.

Perhaps that is why it is in the forefront.

I realize that, I wasn't specifically stating testicular cancer needed more attention. But if you want to talk numbers, approximately 1.3 million people die every year from lung cancer, that's 33x the number that die from breast cancer. Yet there is are no month set aside, no marches to capitol hill. All I am saying is that there seems to be a disproportionate amount of attention focused on breast cancer, compared to other types, and I was trying to educate myself and determine why.

Many more women die from lung cancer than breast cancer per year, and that's something that's preventable.

Edit: BTW, I have learned a lot since when I started this post, both from responses as well as from further reading I have done. I can say that I have a lot more respect for what people who have it are going through, then I did a few days ago when I originally posted.

clevedark · 03-26-2010, 05:21 PM

I think that historically breast cancer was shameful, something that women never talked about. Plus it affects people's mothers (and sometimes fathers) so it's emotionally loaded. As a breast cancer survivor, I get sick of the emphasis, especially during October (is that the designated month?) but I supposed if it raises more money for research I shouldn't complain.

Something like 1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Pretty shocking.

Lung cancer has a higher death rate because typically it isn't diagnosed until it has reached an incurable stage.