Hi Robin,

I've always been fascinated by what I call the "Susan G. Komen Marketing Juggernaut" and have wondered if Ms. Komen had died of lung cancer (the leading cause of cancer deaths in women according to the American Cancer Society) or colon cancer, whether Nancy Brinker's (the foundation's founder and sister of Susan G.) focus would have been different. However, Susan died of breast cancer and that's where Ms. Brinker started and the rest, as they say, is history. While I don't begin to diminish the significance of breast cancer I continually find reports of surveys that show a majority of those surveyed assume breast cancer is the number one killer of women (of coure, heart conditions is still number one). I think that's due to this impressive campaign the Komen foundation has put together.

While breast cancer is a major threat, I just think it's important that women take the same precautionary steps for other types of cancer (get a colonoscopy, have lungs checked) that they do for breast cancer...

By the way, I am a prostate cancer survivor and that disease doesn't get quite the attention that breast cancer does.

I've survived a number of things in my 51 years...one of them was second stage breast cancer at age 38. During that time of my life I survived surgery, chemo, rads, body changes, baldness, sickness and fear.

I'm still here nearly 13 years later so I *guess* I might think of myself as having survived *those*things and I have confidence I'll survive them again if they come around. So in that respect I call myself a survivor.

My definition of survivor means "I can get through this"

I won't actually know if I've literally survived breast cancer until I die from something else.

Edited to add *I meant to put this in the discussion regarding calling ourselves survivors. ooooops

Arkadash, you are right -- but as the daughter of someone who died from lung cancer, I find it especially tragic to look at the graph from the American Cancer Society and see lung cancer deaths for women start their steep climb in the 70s, inexorably following the increase in women who smoke some years earlier.

http://www.cancer.org/downloads/stt/CAFF06MrF.pdf

The heartening thing about the breast cancer mortality decline is that it results from the intense attention (the marketing juggernaut as you describe it, and I kind of agree) our disease gets. That is a good thing. Almost nothing has happened to lung cancer treatment or mortality rates in the two decades since my father died.

Maybe a real tangental benefit of the juggernautness of the Komen effort is that people in some other agencies will disect the Komen operation and apply the principles to their own efforts. My daughter (a gerontoligist working for the Bexar Area Agency on Aging here in San Antonio) is active with Alzheimer groups and we recently went on their annual awareness walk. Maybe 400 people showed up. A week later I went on a similar walk for the organ and tissue donor folks. Maybe 200 there. Both are vitally important programs but have very little public awareness. They need to study the Komen juggernaut <G>

RobinWolaner:

You have such a wonderful attitude, and congratulations on your 2-year anniversary...

I will be 50 y/o Dec 11th. At 35, I found a lump in my breast and was diagnosed with Incarcinoma In Situ. I was very fortunate, as my cancer was detected early.

Throughout the entire ordeal, I remained positive even through the lumpectomy, radiation, chemotherapy and sickness. Refusing to let it stop my life, I continued to work fulltime on a daily basis, while remembering that I had too much to live for. Fortunately, my job, my co-workers, my family and friends got me through the ordeal.

Ironically, my cancer treatments ceased on my birthday, and it will be 15 years come Dec 11th.

Fortunately, I am a very resiliant person, and I never harp on or look back on the past too heavily. Having breast cancer is something that rarely comes to mind, and the only reminder is the yearly notice to have a mammogram.

In 2002, I did have a tremendous scare, but with the Grace of God, I survived it.

For anyone going through breast cancer, it's imperative to have loving, POSITIVE, people in your life -- those that will help you get through the ordeal.

Likewise, breast cancer, colon cancer, brain cancer, skin cancer, bone cancer are all equally important. But the fact remains...early diagnosis is the key.

For those without family/friends to assist them, the American Cancer Society is a great resource. I did volunteer work for the Michigan Chapter, and they have much to offer.

I know that it doesn't always seem balanced. I personally prefer to support local people who are facing this challenge. I had colon cancer in 2000 and now work with mostly breast cancer patients. But cancer is cancer and it really doesn't matter when you are working so intimately with people. We all have our messages to listen to and parts of ourselves to learn about.

Dear Robin,

I was diagnosed with breast Cancer in Feb. 2006. About 4 mos. after my Mother passed away from ovarian cancer in Oct. 2005. (Talk about kick me when I am down). That was a really hard time for me. I was still grieving for my Mother and then had to turn around and deal with this myself. At the same time my BFF of 37 yrs. decided she couldn't handle it and dumped me. I have asked why on TBD and got some pretty good feed back and more understanding. I went through it all with my Mother for 4-1/2 yrs. before she finally said enough. I had 3 surgerys and went through Radiation, I refused to go through Chemo. I saw what it did to my Mother and decided I would rather take my chances. I was told on Sept 27, 2007 I was offically in remission that was great news. I am still tiered and I have problems with the estrogen blocker pills, I can't take them I have an allergic reaction with them. They cause me to have a great deal of pain in my hands and feet and now my back The Doctor has told me it will take 6 mos. before the medication will be out of my system. But things are getting better and I have a positive attitude and new friends on TBD that help me feel good about myself. I type to exercise my hands so this has been great for me. I've learned to take one day at a time and to be Thankful for something each and every day. I am glad to have a place I can talk to others who are going through or have gone through this. Thanks so much for starting this group.

Well I just wanted to share my story.

Golden Eagle Women