Commercialization of Breast Cancer

From UBC Wiki

Facts About Breast Cancer

1 in 9 women will be affected by breast cancer during their lifetime. Of the estimated 25,000 women in Canada who would be affected by this disease in 2015, roughly 5,000 women would die and succumb to the terrible disease[1]. Breast Cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, just after lung cancer, and while early detection methods, such as a regular mammogram, have decreased the fatality rate, there are still many unknowns when it comes to the causes of this terrible disease [2].

Iconic symbol of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer as Big Business

1 in 9 women will be affected by cancer. When you look at those numbers, it isn't hard to see that there is a large market for breast cancer research, products and profit. That is exactly what many companies and corporations are doing. They are starting "Pink" campaigns that supposedly support breast cancer research, and are in turn, turning a profit on the products that they are selling. Looking alone at Breast Cancer Awareness Month, held every October, we see an increase in advertisements from companies promoting their "Pink" products. From a pink KitchenAid mixer, to pink mittens, to KFC's pink bucket of chicken. This "pinkwashing" is affecting the way women interact with the disease, and is merely another method for corporations to sell more products under the realm of "they must be a 'good' company because they are supporting the cause". The pink has gone as far as being donned on professional sports athletes for games that are sponsored by such corporate giants. The term "pinkwashing" has come out of the Think Before You Pink Campaign, which coins a "pinkwasher' as a company or organization that claims to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon product, but at the same time produces, manufactures and/or sells products that are linked to the disease[3].

Companies that are guilty of being pinkwasher's:

  • Susan G. Komen for the Cure - produced a perfume that contained unlisted chemicals that are toxic and hazardous
  • Reebok's pink ribbon emblazoned footwear - capped their maximum donation to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade regardless of how many items were sold
  • KFC's Bucket for the Cure - National Cancer Institute associates colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancer with high intakes of well done fried meats
  • Avon - products have many toxic chemicals associated with breast cancer
  • Many, many more[4]
Examples of 'pinkwashing' in everyday products.
Drink Mike's Hard Lemonade, even though drinking is associated with an increased risk of being diagnosed with cancer.

Advocate Organizations

In contrast to the organizations who are benefiting off of this 'pinkwashing', there have been many grassroots groups who are taking a stand against the commercialization of this disease. One of the most notable organizations is Breast Cancer Action.

Breast Cancer Action

Breast Cancer Action "is not your average breast cancer organization. [They]’re fiercely independent and refuse corporate funding from any company that profits from or contributes to breast cancer. That means [they] can ALWAYS put women’s health first."[5] Founded in 1990 by women who were living with, and dying from breast cancer, today they are a national organization with events spanning the country. They are working intensely hard to challenge what is the norm of these 'pinkwashing' campaigns, and even have their own slogan, to 'Think Before You Pink'.[6] Looked upon in this course, just comparing the two organizations (Susan G. Komen, and BCAction), you can see the stark differences between an organization who is focused on consumerism, and one that is focused on real change.

Think Before You Pink

The Think Before You Pink project came out of the Breast Cancer Action group. This project was launched in 2002 as a response to the growing number of 'pink' products and promotions on the marketplace.[7] Calling for more transparency as to where funding is going, this group has organized marches and campaigns to answer these questions. One successful campaign that they have run was the 'Beyond The Pink Ribbon' campaign, which saw the first meeting of breast cancer research funders to discuss the best way to pool their resources. The video that they created as part of this campaign can be found here! [8].

The main goal of these groups is to combat the corporate giants who are financially benefiting from this disease. Focus needs to look to preventative measures - such as uncovering environmental causes of this disease - and how best to combat those. No one should be purchasing products that claim to be supporting the cause, when in fact, those products carry many known toxins that contribute to breast cancer.

Pinkwashing at its finest.

Profiting Off Femininity

This entire issue with corporations making big profits off of their breast cancer campaigns turns into another issue as to what end will women be exploited as a means for corporations to make money. As much as we might try to deny it, sex sells. And what could be more sexy in the mind of corporate America than women's breasts. For them, that is pure gold. Barbara Ehrenreich has been such a key figure in this fight against corporate America, and their method of sticking a pink ribbon on things to allegedly support breast cancer. Her work has touched on how women are being treated as children and infantilized with gifts such as teddy bears with pink ribbons, instead of having a strong symbol of an independent woman as the face of breast cancer. [9]. Furthermore, the TEDxScottsdale talk by Tania Katan revealed just backwards thinking the breast cancer movement can be. Being a woman who had breast cancer, a woman who didn't get reconstructive surgery after her breasts were removed, was scorned at a Run for the Cure event for taking off her top to show her scars. For the race organizers, this was merely too inappropriate of a gesture. For her, it was a way to embrace her sexuality, her past, and her present as being a woman who had breast cancer. It's a reality of many women across the world, and yet, they are being told to cover up. [10]

There are many ways that people can donate to breast cancer research without having to purchase products. This cult of consumerism is only working to the benefit of corporations. Instead, contact your local breast cancer research groups and ask about where their funding goes, and how you can help. It is time to end the commercialization of breast cancer.

References

  1. Canadian Cancer Society. (2015). Canadian Cancer Statistics. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.ca/~/media/cancer.ca/CW/cancer%20information/cancer%20101/Canadian%20cancer%20statistics/Canadian-Cancer-Statistics-2015-EN.pdf
  2. Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. (2016). About Breast Cancer. Retrieved from: http://www.cbcf.org/central/AboutBreastCancerMain/Pages/default.aspx
  3. Think Before You Pink. (2016). 4 Questions Before You Buy Pink. Retrieved from: http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/resources/before-you-buy/
  4. Ecouterre. (2016). 10 Ridiculous "Pinkwashed" Products That May Actually Cause Breast Cancer. Retrieved from: http://www.ecouterre.com/10-ridiculous-pinkwashed-products-that-may-increase-your-risk-of-breast-cancer/kfc-buckets-for-the-cure/?extend=1
  5. Breast Cancer Action. (2016). About Breast Cancer Action. Retrieved from: http://www.bcaction.org/
  6. Breast Cancer Action. (2016). About Breast Cancer Action. Retrieved from: http://www.bcaction.org/.
  7. Think Before You Pink. (2016). Main Page. Retrieved from:http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/
  8. Think Before You Pink. (2016). Beyond the pink ribbon. Retrieved from: http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/past-campaigns/beyond-the-pink-ribbon/
  9. Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Welcome to Cancerland. Harper's Magazine. Retrieved from:http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/233461833/fulltextPDF/33A8B70AC2F547E5PQ/1?accountid=14656
  10. TedX Talks. (2011, May 13). Tania Katan - The Power of Voice: Survivability, Sustainability and Nudity. [Video File]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGV6eOziEY8