Why is breast cancer awareness so popular?

[Rainbow Dash]

I'm really sorry if this comes across as offensive but it has started to nag me a little.

Why is breast cancer awareness all over the place lately? There are all these walks, runs, ribbons, balloons, pink pencils, pink bags, etc. around. What about other forms of cancer? I know breast cancer is one of the most common cancers but so is lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer etc.

I've never seen awareness on TV for lung cancer. I know these charities probably exist but you would have to dig around to find them :|

Why? Is it because things in pink fluff is cool? -____-

I just don't know why people are donating to a specific type of cancer charity. Why not a cancer charity in general?

I don't know if this is a big thing outside UK but in UK Breast Cancer Awareness is all over the place.

[Boobies]

I'd guess it has a lot to do with it being one of the most common cancers out there.
But the charity is stupid and sexist >.>

[Skeleton]

There is actually an advert on TV for lung cancer that I've seen but I think it is in unfair to raise so much awareness for one type of cancer when there is others out there but again, there is adverts for cancer research so although there is also ones for breast cancer, there is still adverts raising awareness for cancer in general.

[Nicole!]

There was a poster in my school (here in America its popular too) and I can't remember exactly what it said but it was something along the lines of breast cancer having the most death rates in women. Whether that is true or not, I don't know. But maybe that has something to do with it?

[DutchWelshWolf]

I understand what you are saying. But I too am struggling to find out why breast cancer is a popular charity. As my dad suffers from Alzheimer's, I was saddened to find that cancer charities get 3 times more funding than Alzheimer's and I am sorry, if this offends anyone but Alzheimer's is worse than cancer, some people get better from cancer but no-one gets better from Alzheimer's. I was also saddened by lack of awareness and adverts. However, now I am only just seeing an increase in public awareness and the first ever Alzheimer's advert. That's just my views though.

[Cosmo]

Prostate Cancer has almost identical figures, it's just as prevalent as Breast Cancer. The only difference is that it affects men not women.

You work out the rest..

[ReluctantPegasister]

I gave this some thought and came up with basically the same idea as the rest- it affects women, that's scary.

But let me put that into perspective- unlike AIDS which is still widely stigmatized as 'the gay disease', breast cancer affects our mothers, teachers, sisters. That puts it much more into reach culturally for us to care about it.

[Boobies]

Originally Posted by Cosmo

Prostate Cancer has almost identical figures, it's just as prevalent as Breast Cancer. The only difference is that it affects men not women.

You work out the rest..

Men can also get breast cancer, it's much rarer, but it still happens... And breast cancer kills more people.


And on more though on the matter, it is a lot more fun than a lot of other charities and I'm sure that contributes a larger part to it. It's still sexist though.

[Rainbow Dash]

-adds this to my ever growing list as to why I hate feminism-

[The Goblins Blade]

You cant really call it feminism when they are basicly saying that breast cancer is more known in females.

[Chasers]

First off, October was breast cancer awareness, so some of the hype is still around.
Second off, it is women.
Third off, when you think about lung cancer or cervical cancer, people think that majority of people who have these cancers did it to themselves: Lung cancer is from smoking and Cervical Cancer is from HPV (an STD) strands 6, 11, 16, 18. There for if you smoke you choose to kill yourself and if you have unprotected sex and contract HPV and don't get the shot or use protection, you choose to kill yourself.

Note: Don't get the shot - I'm living with HPV because of the shot and it refuses to clear. Not because I had unprotected sex.

So I don't think its the pink fluff and as for prostate cancer - men don't like to be seen as weak, they must be strong. So it is sad that this happens and I have noticed myself that breast cancer is pushed more than anything else when it comes to cancer. As long with AIDS, people "caught it".

So its a little crazy, but what really can you do?

~Chasers

[abandoning]

I've seen lots of campaigns for prostate cancer.
Breast and Prostate cancer are the #1 killing cancers in the world.

[Fictional]

Originally Posted by Mudkip

-adds this to my ever growing list as to why I hate feminism-

One of the reasons you hate standing up for women's rights is that a charity researching a disease affecting women publicizes itself better than a charity researching a disease affecting men?

Brest cancer awareness is no more popular than other types of cancer awareness, it's just better advertised.

[I'm-moving-on]

I don't really know why it is so much more popular than other types of cancer. That does seem to be the case though. Maybe we could each think of some ways to raise awareness for another type of illness, like prostate cancer, Alzheimers, etc. and try to spread the message about other illnesses that way? It may be hard to stop breast cancer awareness from being the most funded, but at least the others will get some needed attention too.

[Le bonheur*]

Breast cancer awareness is highly advertised in America and I support it completely because my Grandma and my Aunt has both had breast cancer however, I do agree that other cancers and different illnesses should have equal or more awareness so that we focus on EVERYONE's illnesses and diseases and not just one particular one.

[MacGuffin]

Originally Posted by Mudkip

-adds this to my ever growing list as to why I hate feminism-

Why does this necessarily demonize feminism? Even if it was started by feminism, it was just to get the basic concept out there that 1 in 7 or 8 women are getting a type of cancer that, at the time, was not widely spoken about. It was about how many people are getting killed by this cancer that yes, mostly effects women, and as a result wasn't as widely discussed, which was a large piece of the puzzle. But it's also that so many people were dying of it and people didn't necessarily see it as big of a deal as it was because it was a more "benign" cancer like skin cancer. People hear someone has skin cancer and they are like "oh, that sucks," but for the most part you can get it removed and you are fine, unless it's "really serious," and then people start paying attention. People had the same reaction to breast cancer. Someone has pancreatic cancer? That's terrible. But that reaction wasn't raised in regards to breast cancer.

Also, you forget that a huge part of this is that they just had a really excellent advertising campaign. Advertising = majorly important with these sorts of things, and the better advertising you have the more funding you get, no matter what the organization is. I mean where I am from, you hear about St.Jude's children's hospital all the time simply because it's so unique and it's mostly run by people like you and me. They're always raising awareness about themselves, and they get some of the best funding in America, so there you go. Spreading the word is a great incentive to get more funding for your cause. They just happen to be really cohesive.

Plus, this wasn't just about breast cancer. Once the campaign came out, many people felt like they could share their experiences more openly and give strength to families suffering from loss AND give hope to other survivors. It became a movement, and it represents not just breast cancer awareness, but cancer awareness for everyone. It no longer stigmatized cancer to the general public, especially cancer in women.

So blame feminism if you want, but feminism gave not just women, but cancer patients all over the world a lot of damn hope in a time where they felt like they couldn't share their experience and what they were going through openly because it was still stigmatized. And if that's what "feminism" means, than hell yes, i am all for it.

[Cabron]

I wouldn't really call it 'popular'. It's not a fad, it's a illness. My mum has had it twice and it's now in remission. I'm not about to complain about people buying things to support research of the disease.

[Chris.]

I think all awareness for different things will be advertised differently. Why? because you have to remember that typically there is a leader for each awareness, some leaders only think its necessary to advertised alittle, and others think it should be advertised alot. Remember, it is extremely expensive to advertise, and in some cases, the leaders don't think that they will make the money back they used to advertise with. If you keep advertising, and you aren't receiving enough income, then eventually you go into debt and you lose money, not gain it. I think thats the biggest reason why some things get advertised more than others.

Best wishes,
Chris

[Peppermint Tea.♥]

To be honest, I don't see a problem with how much it's advertised. Yes, other illnesses should be advertised more, but that doesn't mean that breast cancer is any less deserving of the money it's raising. It's a massive problem and deserves the money. In my opinion a better question would be 'why are other diseases not as widely advertised?' That's where the changes should be made.

[Squiggly]

It is because it is one of the most common types of cancer possibly THE most common but it still isn't right to raise more charity for one than the other. I think having just one big cancer charity would be a good idea. Also I personally think that there is only ONE kind of cancer it just appears in different places so it's considered different.