Pink-tober

September 29, 2022

Summer has always been my favorite season – it’s warm, sunny, and my birthday is in the first part of it.

Growing up in Wisconsin, fall meant cold and snow. Now fall means spending 31 days with everything awash in pink for breast cancer awareness month. …I’m not liking fall even more now.

Don’t get me wrong, awareness of breast cancer is important – critical. Even more important is that we find a cure. The only way to find a cure is to fund research. “Awareness” ≠ “ending breast cancer”.

We need to make October Breast Cancer Action Month. But be cautious in how you act and what you support.

Pink and the ribbon are great ways for companies to make money – often without doing anything to actually help support breast cancer research or those dealing with it.

When I first moved to Colorado I saw there was an option for a breast cancer license plate. I asked where the additional $50/year for that plate went. They responded that by having it on cars they were raising awareness. Nice idea, but not really helpful. $0 toward breast cancer and $50 to the DMV.

If you are looking to support the cause this October, ask questions about where your hard earned dollars are going. Please consider supporting organizations that focus on research and in particular research for metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is the only one that kills. If you cure stage 4 breast cancer, you cure all breast cancer.

My current top 5 organizations — with a focus on Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). Reach out if you want more info. I could talk all day long about this!

• Breast Cancer Research Fund: Dedicated to ending breast cancer through support of research; 40% of their research dollars go toward MBC (close to $20 million annually). Every dollar donated this month will be matched – you can have twice the impact!
• Metavivor: The only organization dedicated to MBC research and support. In particular check out the #LightUpMBC campaign where landmarks across the country will be lit up in the colors of MBC (teal, green and pink).
• Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance: Alliance of organizations, doctors, patients, and allies dedicated to learning more about lobular breast cancer. Invasive lobular breast cancer typically does not form a lump and is difficult to detect on imaging, so difficult to diagnose.
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer: Resources to help people impacted by breast cancer, especially those living with MBC and those diagnosed under 40.
• Young Survival Coalition: Focused on supporting young adults (<40 years old) diagnosed with breast cancer.