Ignore the oft times crass commercialism seen in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and look at the good that is accomplished.
Ignore the oft times crass commercialism seen in Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and look at the good that is accomplished. Every October organizations big and small run activities to raise the public’s awareness about breast cancer as well as raise funds to support research for the long hoped for cure. These events are important because they draw attention to a disease that touches so many lives. The media coverage of these events and TV and radio specials throughout October can reach women and men who need to get checked out for breast cancer and prompt them to get the screenings they need.
While this is the case for many Americans, there is a large segment of our society that continues to remain unaware of the need for a annual mammography and comprehensive breast exam. Immigrants who have English as a second language do not usually listen to American television and radio. To reach them requires a grassroots approach to getting the word out about early intervention screenings for breast cancer. Until there is a way to prevent breast cancer, all we have are early intervention screenings.
As a navigator, I saw thousands of women come to NYC hospitals seeking treatment for breast cancer that could have been caught much earlier, required less treatment, and had a more promising outlook for survival. These situations exist across the US .
Organizations like the American Cancer Society have culturally sensitive staff that carry the early intervention message to communities that have English as a second language and whose cultures may be resistive to or fearful of seeking medical attention. The numbers of women who fit into these categories are just too large for agencies to reach them all. We all need to do our part to reach out wherever we can and how ever we can to spread the word that these services exist and can be provided for free, if need be.
Let’s make Breast Cancer Awareness Month a very personal project that lasts year-round. If you know anyone who isn’t going for screenings speak to them about the need to do so and, if you can, offer to go with them. If you speak a second language, speak to those you know who speak only that language about the importance of early intervention. Offer to make an appointment for them and, if possible, go with them or arrange for someone else to go with them for support.
