Breast Cancer is Overrated

Gender cancer is a hot topic these days with Ms. Komen getting her name and ‘trademark’ pink ribbon on everything including my breakfast cereal box (I like dehydrated strawberries) .

Particular cancers may need increased awareness for many reasons. Let’s start with some simple, factual, medical ways of comparing cancers:

• Most commonly diagnosed cancer
• Leading cause of cancer death

According to the CDC’s website, in 2004, breast cancer was the “most commonly diagnosed” cancer among women, with an incidence of 117.7 per 100,000 persons (same rate used elsewhere). It is not the leading cause of cancer death among women (24.4). The leading cause of cancer death for both men and women is lung cancer, but Americans aren’t putting gray, ashy ribbons on their cars for chain-smoking, blue-collar workers. They’ve morally abdicated any claim to empathy.

Prostate cancer wins 1st place in the competition for most diagnosed cancer (145.3), surpassing breast cancer by 23.4%. Prostate cancer edges out breast cancer by 4.1% in terms of cancer deaths. Cancers that affect both genders affect men more grievously than do gender-specific cancers. Lung cancer causes 71.9% more cancer deaths in men than in women; and colo-rectal cancer causes 42.1% more cancer deaths.

This leaves us with only two reasonable conclusions for why breast cancer gets so much attention. (1) Everybody loves breasts (2) Feminism/misandry.

Tags: breast cancer, cancer, CDC, feminism, Susan Komen