and the winner is...
Something has been bothering me for a long time. I'm a huge fan of fundraising efforts and the like - but this year, I'm ticked off.There really are countless charities you can donate time, money, whatever to. I have a couple that I focus on, but I can't help giving the kid at the door $5, or stuffing change in a box...
Cancer is a biggie with me. That's what took my Dad so young. I've supported the Canadian Cancer Society enthusiastically for years now. What I like about them is that they spread the money around - research, support, etc.
Now, there's groups out there for specific cancers too (some of you know where I'm going with this). People like to champion whatever sort has touched their life in whatever way. Okay, fine.
BUT
I believe that research and support to various cancers is being diminished by the breast cancer bandwagon. Now don't get me wrong. Breast cancer is awful - my aunt had it. Except I'm seeing pink products, with proceeds to breast cancer research, at The Bay, Sears, Shoppers, Avon, etc, etc, etc, there have been no less than THREE runs this year alone for support, and the list goes on. So in North America, breast cancer research et al is getting hundreds of millions of dollars, and no one else is. Did you know that as many men die of prostate cancer as women of breast cancer? The prostate research centers count their dollars in hundreds of 000s. What are they supposed to accomplish with that? How about lung cancer - one of the most common cancers, almost always fatal - anyone walking for lung cancer??? Cervical?? Skin? Bone? Liver?
People say its because women are so outspoken. Well, do these women not realize they're not the only ones needing help? C'mon people, wake up! I'm at the point where seeing friggin pink stuff for sale pisses me off. Why not give your dollars to the Canadian Cancer Society. They support all kinds of research. Or if you want to stay close to home - the Ottawa Hospital Foundation Cancer Research Centre? Or whatever organization operates where you live. That way, professionals, who have all the information, can put the money where its needed the most.
Surviving cancer shouldn't be trendy. And "trendy" is exactly what breast cancer support is looking like. At the expense of lives. We have automatic screening in place - free mammograms after 50, and very good chemotherapy drugs already developed. My aunt's cancer was completely gone by the time they operated - all they had to remove was scar tissue. That doesn't mean she had an easy time of it. But she's alive and healthy. What about the pancreatic cancer patient who has a few months to live from the time the cancer is discovered? Where's the money to develop early screening for that?
October is breast cancer month. Which one is for prostate??? Can anyone tell me???
posted by Boo @ 7:05 PM
6 Comments:
With the mortality rate so high for lung and pancreatic cancer one would think that this is where most of the research dollars should be going. But NOOO!
Its hype that gets the attention. It is understandable, though, that for many years there was a concerted effort to study diseases, such as heart disease as it affected men. Women's issues were put on the back burner. This breast awareness activity seems like an overkill reaction to make up for previous men's health issues exclusive of women.
Needless to say I hope that all this activity will result in a cure or at least more effective treatment programs. Any research into cancer generally will result in benefits to not just breast cancer patents but other cancer sufferers as well.
it's like jerry lewis with the labor day telethon- it's who has the best front man- or woman.
apparently, you aren't alone in your thoughts. blue gal has her panties in a bunch too
http://bgalrstate.blogspot.com/2006/10/
trying-to-stay-above-fray-but.html
Spot on Boo. There is an overemphasis on breast cancer. Twenty years ago I got the impression that breast caancer funding and media attention was part of women's liberation. At the same time this cancer was sexy (like Naomi Woolf). What a contradiction!
My Mother has breast cancer and Dad has prostate cancer (they're in their 70s) so I've been aware of the the unequal funding and media treatment close up.
I'll comment on another aspect of cancer research which bugs me later.
Pete
I'm oh-so-glad to see there are others noticing this and who feel the way I do.
Maybe blogging will get the message out even more?
The other thing about cancer research that bothers me is this:
The money people pay to cancer charities and foundations often goes to research companies. These may be partnerships or corporations (the later with a profit motive and shareholders).
Frequently the staff are medical doctors who are also research specialists. This mean a great deal of money donated would go into vey high salaries.
What really bugs me is that the research companies (often drug companies) are competing corporate players who DO NOT SHARE EXPERIMENTAL DATA OR IDEAS (all that is called intellectual property rights).
Non sharing means that companies frequently need to duplicate the same type of basic research as their compeditors. Instead of building on each others ideas they might hide breakthrough until they're marketable. We're often talking 10 years of guarding "secret" reseach knowledge until the public gets any benefit.
So partly due to the intellectual property rights system probably most of cancer charity money is wasted - but what can we do?
Pete
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