Several breast cancer advocacy groups are concerned about "the onslaught of commercialism" surrounding October breast cancer awareness campaigns sponsored by cosmetic companies, candy bar makers, kitchen applicance companies and others, according to an AFP news service story.
A San Francisco group director says, "No one knows exactly how much money is being raised and spent every year, or where all the money is going." Her group complains of a "fractured" approach to research, and of poorly coordinated funding and research.
Another national group leader says, "There is a lot of noise, pink all over the place, all that talk distracts us from the real issue, which is we don't know how to fight this disease." She also says the current focus is "too much on mammography."
Journalists should be all over this story. There still is controversy over the benefits of mammography for women in their 40s. There still is profound uncertainty about what to do about ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which is showing up earlier on newer, more sensitive mammograms. There still are more than 200,000 American women diagnosed each year, two million living with the disease, and 40,000 a year dying.
Thanks for posting this!!