January 2, 2012

In her book published in 2006, entitled “Pink Ribbons, Inc”, Samantha King denounced the fact that breast cancer has “become a marketing industry oriented on survival, rather than on prevention of the disease itself”.

The members of the FIQ Status of Women Committee therefore looked into all the advertising linked to the “pink ribbon” which is aimed at collecting funds for research in the treatment of breast cancer. We recognize that research leads to saving more and more women, but is it not time to examine what actions also need to be taken and which campaign we should support?

After discussing among ourselves and being informed, the committee came to the conclusion that it was important to question the objectives of the campaigns and the multinationals which use the cause for their own justification.

The last two FIQ Women’s Networks allowed us to establish a link between the toxic substances found in the various products that we use and cancer. They are found, in particular, in beauty products, perfumes, plastic water bottles, baby bottles, pacifiers, food cans, many cleaning products, even “pink” Teflon frying pans (for the cause). The products containing these substances have been put on the market by these same companies which embrace the cause. Who among us has not bought products with the pink ribbon on them to support the research without really knowing that some of them are harmful to our health?

Breast cancer: a profitable cause?

But Samantha King is certainly against the marketing that has made the fight against breast cancer commercial, to the point of misrepresenting it. According to her, the pink ribbon campaign developed around a business plan “that is more concerned with gaining new shares of the market than with the prevention of the disease”. In the same breath, she denounces that the foundations dedicated to the breast cancer cause “have extremely high general operating costs, and that little money really goes to research”.

“Why are there so many organizations which compete to collect donations for breast cancer? Because it is profitable for them”, she says.

Therefore, the committee continued its reflection on the collection of bras benefitting the breast cancer foundation for 2012. A question was raised on the abuse that this leads to, because many people give a bra in good condition for the cause. Is increasing the manufacturers’ profits the best way to do it? We would rather invest our energy in promoting prevention by applying political pressure so that the latter stop putting toxic substances in the products we use.

Use the money elsewhere

Samantha King prétend également que la recherche sur le traitement du cancer du sein « est déjà suffisamment bien financée, et l’argent amassé devrait être redirigé pour financer des études pour découvrir les facteurs de risque afin de prévenir la maladie ». Rappelons que les compagnies investissent encore aujourd’hui seulement 5 % dans la prévention.

Samantha King also claims that the research on the treatment of breast cancer “is already sufficiently funded, and the money collected should be directed to funding studies for discovering the risk factors in order to prevent the disease”. Remember that the companies still only invest 5% today in prevention.

The regroupement Action cancer du sein is working on denouncing the environmental factors and the approximately one hundred toxic products to which we are exposed and that are questioned in the increase of all forms of cancer. We want to support their demands.

For more information :

Breast Cancer Action Montreal : www.bcam.qc.ca/fr
Pink Ribbons, Inc. : www.upress.umn.edu/Books/K/king_pink.html
Campagne du ruban rose: www.cancerdusein.org