Pink Ribbons

I watched the documentary Pink Ribbons recently. It's a great documentary on how breast cancer research has been handed over to corporations who happily took on the task of "helping people" but with their eyes fixed on their bottom line only. A lot of great things were said by smart people while the reps of the corporations and foundations that raise money for cancer research looked a bit stupid.     


One big stance was that there are a vast number of organisations in the US alone that research a cure to breast cancer but they do not cooperate. They all do the same thing and ignore the same gaps in their research. The vast majority researches a cure to cancer instead of the causes of breast cancer and how it can be eliminated. But how do you want to fix something if you don't know where it comes from? Avon, Revlon & Co. who put on races to "celebrate survivors" and offer support are quick to point out how much money they have raised but you never hear about the results of the research. Are there any? It's pointed out that the only approach to breast cancer for the last decades has been slash, burn & poison - as in: surgery to remove the breast, radiation and chemotherapy. But why do more and more women get breast cancer? It's now 1 in 8, while in the 1940's it was 1 in 22. A couple of independent researchers tried to find out. Turns out for example that women that work in the plastics industry are prone to get any cancer way more often. Plastics when being moulded emit fumes that mimic estrogen and estrogen is linked to breast cancer. That's why its way more common in women than in men. (The fumes aren't good for your lungs either)

Logically, our environment has something to do with it and as we have not been treating our environment well it pays us back. I  lost my grandmother to breast cancer over 30 years ago, when I was an infant. I have not donated to cancer research or participated in any of those pink events. I don't regret it. I give my money to environmental organisations because they care about our environment and in doing so probably also eliminate the causes to many currently spreading diseases in our society. Have you read the headlines such as diabetes might be linked to pollution? It surely is linked to bad food. 

In the documentary it was further shown that for example the cosmetics companies that are most popular with their pink events still use lots of ingredients in their products that are connected to cancer. It was revealed that companies that run pink campaigns also profit from more patients. It was shown that making women have mammographs makes the producers of these instruments earn money, and although early discovery is not always of benefit women still get treated. They even get medication when they are in stage 4 which is incurable. Never mind that the medications might worsen their conditions or have terrible side effects. Pharmaceutical companies are certainly thrilled. 

Ford ran a campaign to support women with breast cancer - never mind that their gas guzzlers are polluters. Even KFC ran a campaign where from every bucket of grilled (instead of deep fried) chicken 50 cents were donated - apparently they promoted healthy eating at the same time. Give me a break! American Express ran a campaign were one single cent from every purchase was donated, no matter how big the purchase was. Nuts! People don't read the fine print. People should be way more careful how they spent their money. But it's an emotional issue and people are not rational, much to the benefit of corporations.

It sure is a great documentary and everyone who watches it will certainly come out with a lot more knowledge and a more sane approach to everything pink ribbons. As one survivor said, to her pink ribbons just mean evil.