The Nevada Sagebrush

Go pink for inspiration from activists

Monday, October 12, 2009 - 12:23 AM

Emily Katseanes

This October marks the 25th year in a row that the United States has donned pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Those pink ribbons (invented by Evelyn Lauder of Estée Lauder, for you fashionistas) have been on everything from yogurt lids to the backdrop of Brett Favre’s ESPN spots.

The tales of cancer survivors and their loved ones are poignant enough, but what’s most inspiring is the amount of vision, dedication and elbow grease it must have taken to change the perception of breast cancer from just one more disease to one of the most visible issues in our society today.

That kind of gumption should be an example to us all, particularly because, as far as cancers go, breast cancer is a relatively good prognosis. Five-year chances of survival for someone diagnosed with breast cancer remain above 80 percent until stage III, which is pretty advanced. As a contrast, pancreatic cancer has only a 20 percent five-year survival rate, regardless of the stage at which it’s detected. For lung cancer, the number one cancer-related killer of women (breast cancer is number two), the five-year survival rate rests at 15 percent.

Yet breast cancer awareness advocates still raise a huge chunk of change for research. It’s likely that what’s driven breast cancer to the forefront of the American consciousness are equally driven groups like the Susan G. Komen Foundation, NBCAM and Avon Walk for the Cure.

Regardless of what you believe in, be proud to stand up and fight for your cause. It worked for Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her dying sister she would eradicate the cancer that was killing her. Brinker went on to form the Susan G. Komen Foundation, named for her sister, which has raised $1 billion for research since 1982. Avon Walk for the Cure has raised more than $265 million in five years (from 2003 to 2008). Even Oprah featured products with the pink seal in the October issue of her magazine. And when Oprah approves of you, America approves of you (her Book Club endorsements routinely sky-rocket first-time authors into New York Times bestsellers.)

Not everyone needs to get on Oprah to make a difference. Just chipping off bits of your apathy anywhere is important. I’m a lazy, busy, whiny, forgetful college student but I still try to shop with reusable totes, be nicer to my most annoying relatives and support local businesses when I part with my dollars. They may not be cancer, but they’re my causes.

These women (and men) got fed up, fired up and up off the couch. They saw an issue, found a cause they believed in, banded together and, by fighting, have made a pretty big impact. Though they haven’t single-handedly cured cancer just yet, they have galvanized people across the country to join their fight.

Cancer is an awful thing for anyone to suffer. But whatever you believe in — animal rights, humans being pro-choice or pro-life, going green, keeping lakes blue, keeping space black, keeping banks independent or making health care private — pink should help remind you that a small group of people can create communities, cultivate members and make an impact.

Emily Katseanes’ other causes are being nice to cats, using good grammar and eating candy. Reach her at ekatseanes@nevadasagebrush.com.