From the first moment my wife discovered
she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even
ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have
received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than
mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started
this blog…
It’s Breast Cancer
Awareness Month right now.
It’s not funny,
but strange that it seems that the issue isn’t “awareness” but importance.
In my local
newsfeed, the number one story is “Beer fans steal campaign signs in Prior
Lake”.
The CNN lead
story: “Can Trump Recover?”
The BBC lead
story: “Trump ‘sorry’ for obscene comments” (This leads the “Haiti hurricane
death toll doubles to 800”)
The ABC
(Australian Broadcast Company) lead story: “Donald Trump apologises for vulgar
comments; targets Bill and Hillary Clinton”
So, we must be
aware of breast cancer because the antics of idiot politicians (an oxymoron)
“trump” any mention of breast cancer.
BC is relegated to
minor status even though “As of June 2016, there were more than 2.8 million
women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This figure includes women
currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.”
“About 1 in 8 U.S.
women — 12% — will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her
lifetime.
“In 2016, an
estimated 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be
diagnosed, along with 61,000 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer (also
known as carcinoma in situ). About 40,450 women are expected to die in 2016
from breast cancer, though there has been a decrease in death rates since 1989,
with larger decreases in women under 50. These decreases are thought to be the
result of treatment advancements, earlier detection through screening, and
increased awareness.”
Internationally,
the last time figures were calculated, there were 1.7 million new cases each
year. The figure below shows the incidence of breast cancers in different
regions of the world:
So, while we KNOW
about breast cancer in the US, it’s clear that the issue is not the same
worldwide. In some parts of the world, there is greater concern over infant
mortality, malaria, malnutrition, and war; rightfully so – I’ve been to
Nigeria, Cameroon, Liberia, and Haiti. All of these countries have experienced the
“Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” while Americans have experienced none in
recent history. “Awareness” then might be a relative thing. Is it Breast Cancer
Awareness Month in China?
Turns out that “Yes,
China DOES have a breast cancer awareness campaign!”
This is it for now
– I’ll come back to the subject next time…
Resource: http://www.breastcancer.org/about_us/press_room/press_kit/facts_figures,
http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com/beyond-the-pink-ribbon-breast-cancer-awareness-month-around-the-world/
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