Which Pink Breast Cancer Buys Actually Give Back?

You stuck your t-shirt with a pink ribbon and proudly tote your girly water bottle to the gym. Now that we're in the throes of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the want -- and the ability -- to buy products that support the search for a cure certainly abound.

But how much of that cash that you're forking over actually goes to the cause? That's what a recent wsbt.com story aimed to find out.

"Not every pink product is giving back to a worthy cause," Sophie Sureau of Susan G. Komen of Northeast Ohio told the news outlet.

Sureau's suggestion? Pay very close attention to the packaging.

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Comments

[nancynancy]

12:27 AM on 10/09/2011

It's time to take down the pink ribbons, and it's time for a reality check. The aggressive screening program pushed by Komen and the rest of the profit oriented breast cancer industry actually harms far more women than it "saves."

Early diagnosis is not the panacea we have been led to believe it is. Of the women diagnosed with breast cancer every year, one third have cancers so aggressive, they will die regardless of how early their cancers are caught, and one third would never have had their health affected regardless of whether they were ever treated for breast cancer or not. Early diagnosis benefits a minority of women with breast cancer, only one third.

The truth is you would have to screen 1,000 forty year old women every year for ten years in order to save one woman's life. And sadly, the unnecessary overtesting, overdiagnosis and overtreatment for this disease takes a heavy toll on the physical, emotional and financial wellbeing of women, their families and the country as a whole. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a key reason why the United States has the world's highest healthcare expenditures but only mediocre healthcare outcomes.

[Rhonnybay]

03:58 AM on 10/10/2011

but this doesn't help those minority women....like myself if early testing isn't pushed. White women get breast cancer more than black women but black women die more from it. Its about tailoring messages. So, as the "only one third", I want the message to be clear for black and Hispanic women.

At the same time, I do think all of the pink and the awareness campaign gives a false message when more women die of Lung cancer than breast cancer annually.

[nancynancy]

11:23 AM on 10/10/2011

Researchers do not know why more black women than white women die from breast cancer. It may be due to differences in access to care or it may be that black women are more likely to get very aggressive cancers that do not respond to treatment. Unfortunately regardless of the cause, pink ribbons and Breast Cancer Awareness Month are not likely to close this racial gap.

[jfbuf]

03:56 PM on 10/08/2011

I personally think we have overdone this Pink stuff, I'd like to see a little Blue

[jacki650]

02:57 PM on 10/07/2011

This is a very helpful tip! I usually always check the labels of products whether it is for breast cancer donations or HIV/AIDS campaigns, because I have noticed that there is a variation amongst products and the amounts they donate. For anyone interested her is a great list of Ways to Observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month that the Hello Ladies created on SkinnyScoop..I recommend checking it out for ideas and even adding suggestions > http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/hello_ladies/ways-to-observe-breast-cancer-awareness-month