Not All Cancers are Treated Equally
Stephanie Gayhart, MHI, RN
Disrupting the Status Quo Since 1982 | A Phoenix Rising Since 2019 | Survivorship Expert | Innovative Nurse Leader
October is here again. For many, its a month of raising awareness and funds to support Breast Cancer research. Everything from bagels to band-aids turns pink. For those who have survived or know someone with a different cancer with far less fanfare associated, it can be a month of constant reminders that our lives don't seem to matter as much because our cancer happened to grow in different cells.
Let me clarify, before people claim I'm a hateful monster, that breast cancer is a nefarious beast that has claimed the lives of many, including those who survive the cancer but have to live a completely new life with the side effects from it and its treatment. It undoubtedly deserves awareness and funding and research just like any other life-altering or -ending disease. But does it deserve more than all others?
From a very personal empathetic perspective, when sports players wear pink, that's great for those who are honoring someone who has/had breast cancer (and shouldn't be discouraged). However, how does the player feel whose dad recently got diagnosed with colon cancer and never gets a full game decked in blue? Or the fan who year after year sees their favorite teams show support and "raise money" (more on that later) for breast cancer, but never the uterine cancer she had? When we light up entire buildings only in pink, imagine how it feels to be someone who never sees representation, like their "battle" didn't matter as much as another's. The National Hockey League (NHL) got it right in celebrating #HockeyFightsCancer with lavender (the ribbon color for ALL cancers) and partnering directly with American Cancer Society and Canadian Cancer Society as well as choosing multiple smaller non-profits as beneficiaries every year.
That being said, lets not forget that all corporate events and marketing should be scrutinized for how much of the profits are actually going to cancer-related charities and funds. It seems to still surprise many that some big-name philanthropic companies and initiatives are only donating very small percentages of their total profits to the things they claim to support. I understand that corporations exist to profit, obviously they need to survive to continue to operate. Nevertheless, there is a big difference between an entity being transparent about how funds are dispersed and hiding it when claiming to "support" an initiative. To be clear, I see no issue in buying pink or white or *insert color(s) here* to visibly show support for people with a particular cancer. But, if looking to actually fund the research or support of those impacted by particular cancers, its best to give that money directly to the organizations doing the research or supporting (or the individuals with cancer themselves).
Which brings me to my final point: when it comes to funding specific cancers, the numbers don't really add up the way one would think. Dr. Suneel D. Kamath of The Cleveland Clinic found that, as expected, cancers with higher incident rates were funded more than those with lower rates; however, cancers with the highest mortality rates received lower funding than expected. The study also showed that cancers affecting mostly white populations received more funding than those affecting black and brown populations (https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/disparities-found-in-funding-of-cancer-research ). There has to be a better way to ensure all cancers (and all populations affected by cancers) get the funding and research they deserve.
To conclude, I hope its evident I don't have a vendetta against breast cancer survivors and I'm not proposing a Sharks vs Jets style rivalry a la West Side Story between any cancer survivors or supporters. What I do wish to see is more support for those cancers and survivors who don't get the representation they desperately need and fully deserve.
If you read this far and would like some recommendations on lesser-known cancer charities and non-profits to support, I am a fan of and support the following (among many others not listed):