Pink ribbons have helped to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, but they've also perpetuated a deadly misunderstanding.
Sebastian, FL (PRWEB) October 5, 2005 -- It's breast cancer awareness month, and the John W. Nick Foundation wants to know: Why all the pink ribbons?
Pink ribbons are the widely-recognized symbol of breast cancer, used to raise awareness of the disease and to show support for finding a cause. Approximately 211,000 women per year are expected to contract breast cancer in the U.S. alone. But as far as the Nick Foundation is concerned, those ribbons are a mixed blessing.
"It's important that people become united under the cause of fighting breast cancer," says Nancy Nick, founder and CEO of the Nick Foundation. "The problem is that pink ribbons have led to a fatal misunderstanding -- the idea that only women get breast cancer. In fact, nearly 1% of all breast cancer cases in the U.S. occur in men, and the numbers are higher in many places around the world. The misunderstanding causes people to ignore or misdiagnose male breast cancer symptoms, and as a result, the U.S. mortality rate is 42% higher among men with breast cancer than it is among women."
The Nick Foundation was founded in 1995 to promote awareness of male breast cancer and to provide support for those with the disease after Nicks father, John W. Nick, died of breast cancer at the age of 58 because of symptoms that were ignored by two different doctors visited two years apart. By the time he was properly diagnosed, it was too late to save him from the disease.
"Using ribbons to raise awareness of breast cancer is a wonderful technique," says Nancy Nick, "but it's important that we raise an educated awareness. That's why we developed a pink and blue ribbon back in 1996 for a message that tells the whole story. We'd like to see every cancer organization adopt this ribbon when touting the cause of breast cancer."
Today, the Nick Foundation continues raising awareness of male breast cancer while supporting those with the disease, but it also provides education to both men and women about breast cancer prevention and treatment options.
Pink and blue ribbons are available for online use and for print applications from the foundation's website so that everyone can help to raise awareness. To learn more, please visit the John W. Nick Foundation website at http://www.MaleBreastCancer.org.
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