Did you know that? Me either. I think the three that do know this are off fishing and the boat sank with them in it. I can certainly tell you that Walmart doesn't know it. The wife and I are in there last night buying cat food and on an end-cap is a big display of pink spray bottles. Buy one and they make a donation to Breast Cancer Research. BREAST CANCER? WTF? How about something that makes a donation to prostate cancer research?!?!?
While I'm at it, did you know that even though more men will contract prostate cancer than women who contract breast cancer, the government spends $0.50 for every dollar spent on breast cancer research!?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
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I think that breast cancer may get more attention for the simple reason that it is easier to detect. Therefore it has a better chance of being detected early. This allowed research to begin earlier so more research already exists. I also think many more people in the public eye reveal their battles with breast cancer and this raises awareness which in turn raises funding. Finally, breast cancer is not strictly a female disease. Though relatively rare, men can also develop breast cancer.
But I know how it feels when cancer touches your life and you discover your form of it is 'under reasearched'. It isn't a good feeling and all the logic in the world doesn't make it better. When Mom was sick I was told by a several medical professionals that research in ovarian cancer was far behind the research done on prostate cancer. One chemo nurse specifically told me that she believed this great imbalance was due to the fact that men generally control government and private funding for cancer research. Implying that funding prostate cancer research over ovarian cancer research has a bias in self preservation. This made me angry. However, some of the information you have provided and that I have found sheds new light on this. As it is clear that there are more diagnoses with prostate cancer than either breast cancer or ovarian cancer. So based on that alone, one would think it would warrant the greater effort.
Some facts:
Breast Cancer:
In 2008, approximately 182,460 women in the United States will receive a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer and 67,770 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in situ. In addition, although male breast cancer is rare and accounts for less than 1 percent of all breast carcinomas in the United States, about 1,990 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in men this year. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Approximately 40,480 women and 450 men are projected to die from breast cancer this year.
Congressional Appropriations
$2.07 billion in FY92–07
$138 million in FY08
Prostate Cancer:
In 2008, approximately 186,320 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and an estimated 28,660 will die from the disease. Prostate cancer is second only to lung cancer as a leading cause of cancer deaths in men.
Congressional Appropriations
$810 million in FY97–07
$80 million in FY08
Ovarian Cancer:
During 2008, approximately 21,650 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States, and an estimated 15,520 of them will die from the disease.
Congressional Appropriations
$111.7 million in FY97–07
$10 million in FY08
In many regards, I think it's better to compare prostate cancer to ovarian cancer. Both can be difficult to detect and often have no symptoms or misleading symptoms. There is no 'self testing' guidelines like those for breast cancer that I am aware of. Blood tests exist to help detect prostate and ovarian cancers early. As Chris discusses the PSA is fairly reliable in detecting prostate cancer. It is an accepted part of medical screenings for older men and can be credited for saving many lives. The CA 125 for ovarian cancer, is often not regarded as reliable as more research needs to be done. Many doctors will not authorize this test even when requested. It is not part of preventive medical screenings. There are also more treatment options for prostate cancer than there are ovarian cancer.
I can say there's a vast gulf of information and options between breast cancer and ovarian cancer. When Lynn went through breast cancer treatment, there were many tests and then treatment options placed before us. Most of them had very good outlooks. And today Lynn is fine. However, mom was misdiagnosed several times. The tests seemed very much 'hit or miss' to me. And months later when a 'correct' diagnosis was made, the out look was not good. Even best case scenario didn't sound good to me. . .5 years. Mom didn't make 5, not even 2.
Now I'm about to rant a bit so stop reading if my rants upset you. I don't think it matters what disease a person has, hearing that there is not enough research is never an acceptable thing. We want a cure, we want research! And then I think about wars and all the money that is wasted on them. Wasted killing and destroying. And I think of all the people who cheer and support this waste. I don't understand it. Not at all.
God gives us hands and a simple choice: use those hands to harm or help.
2008 War on Terror Request ($ in billions)
Pending Request
Amendment
Total
Department of Defense (includes classified activities)
$147.0
$42.3
$189.3
Department of State and other international operations
3.3
3.6
6.9
Other agencies
0.2
--
0.2
Total
$150.5
$45.9
$196.4
End rant.
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