2 Useful Things To Do During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Tomorrow is the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM). Before the tidal wave of pink starts crashing over your inbox and social media I wanted to remind you to be a conscientious BCAM supporter. There are some things to avoid and two really useful things you can do.

"The Coolest Breast Cancer Awareness Products". Really? Cool?

What to Avoid
I have had a slew of emails from PR companies asking me to promote various products that will make a small donation to Breast Cancer Research when you buy their pink-themed merchandise. Included in this list; shampoo and conditioners that include chemicals linked to breast cancer rates, alcohol and make up. The irony is far from funny. Another email opened with "The Coolest Breast Cancer Awareness Products". Really? Cool? I very rarely put a finite line in the sand but it is never OK to trivialize breast cancer with trite marketing drivel trying to make a quick buck off the back of a terrible disease.

If you buy a pink product in support of BCAM be sure to check how much of the proceeds go to Cancer Research, which organization it goes to and ask yourself whether this product is contributing to toxic chemicals in our consumer environment.

There are two effective things you can do this month (and any month for that matter) that will make a direct difference to fighting breast cancer. 

1) Make a donation DIRECTLY to Breast Cancer Research. If only 20 cents of the price of a pink product ends up going to Cancer Research then a donation of $1 directly to the researchers is five times more effective.

• Canada - Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
• US - American Cancer Society

2) Learn something about spotting the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. I know this can be a daunting task but knowledge is a really powerful tool. You can speak to your doctor about how to monitor your breast health or you can read our post with useful resources about breast health and monitoring.

I firmly believe that Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an important endeavour that reminds us to be vigilant and knowledgeable about our breast health. We must remember that the goal is to eliminate this disease not to maximize the profit potential for retailers so please, think before you pink xx

7 Facts about Changing Breast Cancer

Visit the Website

As most of you will know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There is a huge amount of information, activity and merchandise around this campaign but the two most important facts at the heart of this month are:

1) Learn how to examine your own breasts for lumps and bumps - most are completely harmless but for many women who can catch their breast cancer early it saves their life.

2) Breast cancer needs a cure (in fact several as there are many different types) and this means we need to make finding the cause and cures a priority.

Visit the Website

BCAM - The Good and The Bad 
I like that Breast Cancer Awareness month is a superb opportunity to leverage the media to remind women how important it is to check their breasts. What I don't like is that we've become immune to the impact of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and forget that this disease happens every day to women across the world.

The insane abundance of PINK during this month has literally got in the way of two crucial facts:

1) Research is needed to find the cause and cure for breast cancer

2) Governments of the world need to commit to transparency in uncovering the causes and funding cures for breast cancers. 

The public donating money is a vital part of fund-raising but in reality medical research requires the public spending power of governments and for this to happen the political leaders of the world have to make finding cancer causes and cures a priority. It's not hard to work out that those products and industries that are linked to cancer are also the ones pumping money into the economy and political donations so it's going to take a huge amount of public pressure to move governments into taking a proactive stance on cancer research.

3 Practical Things You Can Do in the Battle Against Cancer
There are three things you can do this Breast Cancer Awareness Month (or any month in fact) that will make a difference to beating this dreadful disease:

1) Check Your Breasts

2) Donate any money DIRECTLY to cancer research (either to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Canadian Breast Cancer Network, American Cancer Society or to the Susan Love Foundation ) all the 'Walks for the Cure' or '2% of this lipstick goes to cancer research' won't make as much financial impact as just mailing a cheque to a Cancer Research Organization directly.


3) Use your power as a citizen to let your government know that you want breast cancer research to be prioritized in your country. In the US you can do this using Breast Cancer Action's Online Petition or by visiting American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network website. In Canada visit the Prevent Cancer Now petition page.

Like most people breast cancer has affected my family and friends and the reality is that it looks nothing like a Pink Ribbon so we need to do more than just light up the White House with pink lights, we need the people inside it to hear us and put an end to this devastating disease. I hope you find this post helpful xx

Useful and Interesting Links
Elisabeth Dale - A New Approach to The Cure
Worldwide Breast Cancer Site with Tools and Information
Think Before You Pink
Breast Cancer Action
American Breast Cancer Foundation
Breast Cancer Action Network

A Big Bust Self Exam Story

"Today I am handing you over to my friend Gemma who wanted to share her story with you because in order to have good breast health we have to overcome fear and that's not always easy. Here's her honest and familiar story xx"

Finding a Lump
One Monday in April I was in the shower and decided to do a breast exam. I am ashamed to say that I am a bit slap dash when it comes to self-exams, I kind of do them (a squeeze here and there) but it had been a few months since I had done a proper one. As I was doing my exam, I felt not one but two lumps in my right breast. After the initial panic, I tried to calm down and re-did the exam and determined that there were definitely two lumps in my breast.

Rights Reserved

I work in healthcare so the rational side of me knew that 8 out of 10 breast lumps are benign, but the irrational (and terrified) side of me instantly turned to the worst possible scenario.

Plucking Up The Courage to See a Doctor
I decided to wait a couple of weeks before seeing my doctor to see if the lumps went away later in my menstrual cycle and in that time, I managed to wind myself up into a total mess. I read pretty much every blog and website about breast cancer I could find. I also physically bruised my right breast by feeling the lumps every few hours to see if they were still there!

Rights Reserved by Busty Girl Comics

Finally I got my act together. I knew that for the good of myself and my family I had to deal with whatever was causing the lumps and went to see my doctor. My doctor confirmed that there was at least one lump and we needed to take action quickly. As I am only 35 I was recommended an ultrasound rather than a mammogram.

Testing the Lump with Ultrasound and Mammogram
Ultrasounds are less invasive and can pick up findings easier in younger women such as myself, who may have denser breasts. I had an ultrasound the following day and the technician confirmed that there was a suspicious lump in my right breast – approx 1cm in diameter. The radiologist recommended that the lump needed to be examined further and I was sent for a mammogram.

Even the term mammogram terrified me. However, with my husband supporting me every step of the way, two days later I went and had the mammogram. All I could think of in the waiting room as I was waiting for the doctor to call me was, ‘I’m 35, I have a 2 year old, I run half marathons, I go to Pilates, I am in the best shape of my life – this doesn’t make sense’. But then life doesn’t make sense sometimes does it? In that waiting room I can honestly say I wanted to run away as fast as my legs would take me. I didn’t want the mammogram, I didn’t want the probable biopsy, I just wanted to go home. However, at home I had a husband and 2 year old who needed me to be around and to be healthy so I went through with both tests.

I cannot say enough good things about the Women’s Health Center where I had my mammogram and biopsy. It is a centre that specializes in women’s conditions and the whole environment is very feminine and as non-clinical as possible. My radiologist and technicians were amazing, reminding me that 8/10 breast lumps are benign, and that my lump appeared to be that way –but they wanted to be 100% sure not 99% sure, hence all of the tests. Again the rational side of me wanted to believe them, but the waiting between each test was excruciating.

The Results
A couple of days later I got confirmation that my lump was in fact benign! Ecstatic and grateful does not begin to describe how I felt – and still do. However, I got a warning and a kick up the bum I needed to be more vigilant about self-exams and well woman visits in general. No longer will I delay such important exams.

Between finding my lump(s) and getting my biopsy results, I read too many stories from women, of all ages, who are less lucky than me. Their ‘99% probably nothing lump’ was breast cancer – in some cases at an advanced stage. No-one is immune to breast cancer and less than 15% of women with breast cancer have a family history of the disease.

Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women in North America. Everyone knows someone who has battled this disease. Both self-breast exams and well woman visits are vital because they really do save lives.

There are plenty of resources that provide great advice on how to carry out breast self-exams:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/bse_steps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_self-examination
http://www.coppafeel.org/

Visit the website

If in doubt see your doctor and get a medical opinion; I rush my son to the doctor if there is anything wrong with him, and after this experience I have learned that I need to do the same for myself. Make it a priority for yourself to go for regular well woman visits. For those of you in the US, due to the Affordable Care Act, all insurance companies now provide access to well woman visits for free, which gives you even more reason to get checked.

A New Relationship with My Boobs
I have always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with my boobs. The attention my ‘great boobs’ have received over the years has been both flattering and frustrating. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve shouted ‘there is more to me than just a pair of boobs’ I would be a rich lady! However, in general I am very grateful for what I inherited from my mum.

A few years ago I gave birth to my gorgeous son who I happily nursed for 10 months. Post-nursing my big full boobs simply deflated and like many new mums I have been overly harsh on my new body shape – particularly my boobs. After this scare, I am so much more grateful for my boobs! Yes they may not be as full as they used to be, but they are still amazing and most importantly they are healthy! With the help of Claire at Butterfly Collection I celebrated my healthy boobs by getting measured for the first time since I had my son and treated myself to lots of new beautiful lingerie. Now I celebrate my boobs and promise to look after them in the way they deserve.


Disclaimer: Please note these are my personal opinions not those of my employer.

Is Your Makeup Harming Your Boobs?

In my recent blog about the documentary Pink Ribbons Inc I touched on how shocked I was by the suspected links between beauty products and breast cancer. Amazing strides have been made to identify that not all breast cancers are the same but we still don't know what causes most cancers. Very few are genetic so we need a great deal of research into the causes of cancer.

Now I'm not going to be able to cover the huge amount of information available on the suspected links between beauty products and cancer, but I am going to give you some resources to explore further and leave you with some questions you might want to ponder. Plus there's a boob-friendly giveaway for you to enter too!

How can my makeup be harming my breasts?
Pink Ribbons Inc (and many other activists) want effective research into possible links between the increasing number of chemicals in our makeup and beauty products and the rising number of breast cancer cases. Considering the average woman uses 12 beauty products a day and many are known to contain carcinogenics (cancer causing chemicals) it's not a massive logical leap. Very few beauty products are regulated for health safety and groups like Breast Cancer Action want Government co-operation and industry transparency so that effective research can be done. The video below demonstrates how our beauty products could be linked to cancer and also defines irony:

Who Knew There was Lead in my Lipstick?!
Chemicals such as lead, arsenic and a multitude of carcinogenics are found in products that we put on our bodies and faces every day. Organizations like Campaign for Safe Cosmetics are pushing for there to be more transparency about the chemicals that are in these products so that women can make informed choices.

Products in the US are still allowed to include chemicals that have been banned in Canada, the UK and large parts of Europe. There are arguments on both sides of the coin about how safe/dangerous these chemicals are but I really don't think women have any clue that these chemicals are in our beauty products in the first place - I didn't! I didn't realize that I could be absorbing (and ingesting in the case of lipstick) deadly chemicals in however small a dose. Why does my lipstick have lead in it when it was banned in paint and pencils decades ago!?!?

Common Sense
I scraped by in Chemistry and Biology so I'm no scientist, however, I've read enough Agatha Christie to know that Arsenic rarely ends well. So when I learned that Clinique Stay True makeup (Stay Ivory) contains arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, nickel, lead, and thallium I was more than a little dumbfounded (results from Environmental Defense Canada). Just to put this in context, this is a list of what these chemicals and heavy metals can do to you in their purest form:

Arsenic: diarrhea, vomiting, cramping, hair loss, stomach pain, convulsions. At worst coma then death
Beryllim: fatigue, weakness, night sweats, difficulty in breathing and a persistent dry cough
Cadmium: tracheo-bronchitis, pneumonitis, pulmonary edema, bone density loss and fracture
Nickel: bronchitis, reduced lung function, cancer of the lung and nasal sinus
Lead: headache, abdominal pain, memory loss, kidney failure, male reproductive problems, and weakness, pain, or tingling in the extremities
Thallium: numbness of fingers and toes,vomiting, diarrhea, temporary hair loss, and effects on the nervous system, lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys. It has caused death.

Why Take the Risk?
OK so my Clinique foundation is not causing my hair to fall out and my toes aren't numb, however, I'm pretty sure that my body would be happier not processing even tiny amounts of these things. What has shocked and infuriated me the most is that there seems to be an industry-wide concealment of the facts. In the US and Canada cosmetics and beauty companies do not need to list ingredients in a product that are the result of a side-effect (i.e. the by-product of mixing one thing with another). Surely we have the right to know the contents of everything we put on or in our bodies.

The Changes I made to my Bathroom Cabinet
After watching the documentary and doing my own digging I decided that I was going to reduce my chemical intake as much as possible so went on the hunt for some friendly products. My first stop was Rocky Mountain Soap company, a Canadian business whose Lip Butter I had already fallen in love with. I knew they did good stuff but I didn't realize that all of their products are 100% chemical free, made in Canada and sustainably produced - now that's good stuff!!

I've been using the little haul above for a couple of weeks now and I'm in total heaven. The pomegranate moisturizer has eliminated my hives (I have crazy sensitive skin) and the soaps create amazing lather. The shampoo and shave bars are Mr Butterfly's and he's even commented on how much better his hair and skin feel.

Win Yourself some Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Goodness!
The ingredients philosophy at Rocky Mountain Soap Co. is "When an ingredient has been identified as potentially harmful it is safest to avoid it. Period." Who knew common-sense could smell so good. I asked the lovely ladies at RMSC if they would like to share some of their Soapy Goodness with my readers and they didn't hesitate! To win their gorgeous Six Soap Collection you simply need to write on their Facebook Page why chemical-free products are important to you and your life. Be sure to "Like" Rocky Mountain's Facebook Page and Butterfly Collection's Page to qualify. We'll announce a winner on March 14th over on our Facebook Page.

I really hope this blog got you thinking about what goes on your body and more importantly, what we deserve to be told about ingredients in our beauty products. Below are some resources to help you find out more as well as some companies providing chemical-free beauty products. xx

Stacy Malkan's Fascinating Book About Chemicals in our Beauty Products

Resources to Learn More About Chemicals in Beauty Product
EWG Database - Thousands of beauty products analyzed for harmful ingredients

Environmental Defense Canada Report on Heavy Metals in Makeup 

Campaign for Safer Cosmetics - with resources for writing to makeup companies like Estee Lauder and Proctor and Gamble about using safer ingredients

The Shocking Story of Toxins in Cosmetics - The original video

Rebuttal to the video above criticizing the information

Breast Cancer Action petition to US government for FDA control of cosmetics and beauty products


Gorgeous Companies Making Chemical-free Beauty Products
Rocky Mountain Soap Company
 
Liz Earle Makeup and Beauty Products

Suki Skincare and Makeup

Radiance Cosmetics

World Book Day - Must-have Boob Books

In many countries today is World Book Day which celebrates reading and brings awareness to issues around publishing. It got me thinking about all the fantastic books I rely on for bra and breast knowledge. Of course there is lots of information on the internet but there's something extra personal and beautiful about holding a book chock full of gorgeous images. Here are some of my favourites:

Hoorah for the Bra! by Cheree Berry
This is one of my absolute favourites not least because it's a pop up book! The information is good but the visual representations of bras through the decades are brilliant! The hook and eye closure is a nice touch too.

Not enough adult books have pop-up elements!

The Bra Book by Jene Luciani
This is my bible. There is so much useful and insightful information in this book. Everything from how bras are made to how to put one on correctly. It's beautifully laid out and easy to read. I'm a big fan of anything that demystifies the thick layer of 'confusion' around bras.

You can tell from the well worn bookmarks how much I read this book

1000 Dessous by Giles Neret
I use this book for inspiration and it's especially useful for putting into context the way our figures have been shaped by fashion, social convention and economics. It is page after page of images of women in lingerie from the conventional to the erotic, it really shows the diversity of lingerie.

Bra: A Thousand Years of Style, Support and Seduction by Stephanie Pedersen
This is an unassuming little book. It looks like it will be a cursory look at bras but it's actually an indepth look at the journey of the bra from two handkerchiefs and ribbon to deep plunge foam filled boosters!

Any book on the history of the bra will have Madge's cones in there somewhere!

Books I'd like to Own
There are a few books I don't have right now but that I'm keen to read. Elisabeth Dale from The Breast Life has authored a book that includes a collection of her mammoirs (personal breast stories like the one she wrote for Butterfly Collection). Elisabeth is passionate about breast health and happiness and someone I look to about issues around breast cancer education and breast-feeding rights and tips.

After recently seeing the film Pink Ribbons Inc I am very keen to read the book from which the documentary was developed. I've read sections from it but I really need to get hold of Pink Ribbons Inc: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy by Samantha King

Samantha King's passion and determination make a complex issue very accessible

Do you have some Must-have Boob Books that I should know about (p.s. I don't need to know any more about Madonna's conical bra thanks!) xx

We Have to Stop Hating Our Boobs

One of my wonderful 'followers' included me in a thread about a blog post entitled, 'Stupid Boobs'. I read about boobs every day so it takes a lot for me to be taken aback. However, the author of the post, Alexandria, is living a daily hatred of her breasts and on top of that she's angry at them for making her vulnerable to breast cancer (a disease she doesn't have and hasn't had).

There is so much in this blog that makes me sad and the reason for my response is that we can change this today, right now. Alexandria's story is littered with the things most of us have experienced. Whilst girls get boobs boys are sustaining a 2 year-long erection which drains the blood from their head so all they can muster in the sight of something they don't understand (but crave with every fiber of their being) is stupid rhymes and point or giggle inanely. We can't change teenage boys. However, as women, we can change the way our daughters feel about their boobs.

The moment Alexandria's Mom lifted her shirt (uninvited) to look at the 'Problem' of her uneven breasts (btw, fewer women have even breasts than don't), the die was cast that boobs needed to be a certain shape/size/perkiness etc etc. The teenage boys and the long haired, blue-eyed girl (who was probably stuffing her bra because her mother said something equally undermining) are childish comments that you can put into perspective as you move into adulthood. But the comments of an adult, a mother or father, they will set you back years.

Boobs are bizarre when they show up and if they arrive as quickly as mine did (no bra to a 32C in 6 weeks) then you worry you have the plague. This is the crucial time that we need to make BOOBS BELONG TO THE OWNER NOT THE SPECTATORS. So many women I speak to have stories of other people making them feel bad about their boobs. They would all feel differently if they'd had one person saying, you are beautiful and blessed (to be healthy and developed for a start) and reassuring that no one in the world looks like you and that's what makes you so utterly unique. Feeling a sense of pride about our bodies (from the tender age of 11, 12, 13) rather than shame, is the strongest self-esteem building block you can create. Now I'm not suggesting that you can make teens with impenetrable force-fields.  When the kid at the back of the bust makes a 'missile smuggling' joke, it's going to hurt, but that girl goes home and has a safe place to land, talk about it and reclaim her breasts.

I would love to ask Alexandria, what did you expect your boobs to be? What could they have done that would keep you from this 'Hatred'?

The fact that after successfully breast-feeding two children (a feat that many of my friends would have loved the chance to do) Alexandria still 'hates' her breasts is so sad. She states that it's the daily fear of breast cancer that leaves her detached and resentful of her breasts. This is going to sound blunt, but you'd be better off loathing your heart and brain because you're far more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. If that sounds ludicrous, good, it should. Fearing and loathing our body parts is not the answer. Nurturing them, looking after them and getting educated is the best thing you can do.

There are tonnes of things you can do to get educated and keep on top of your own breast-health. And indeed not settling with one answer if you feel you need to take it further is great. No one knows your body like you do. But is hating your boobs because they have the potential to become cancerous really the best defense or the message you want to give you daughter?

I really believe that we need to reclaim our bodies - they have belonged to the media, men and other people's opinions for so long we've forgotten to just chill-out and celebrate the life we have in the one unique body we have. Your body might not think that much of you, but you never hear it complain! I very much hope that Alexandria can find the peace and confidence to put her boob-hate behind her and be thankful to the 'lumps of flesh' that have done their best (despite enduring daily hatred from the one person they've been trying to impress). xx

Is the Pink Ribbon Holding us Back from Ending Breast Cancer?

I recently saw the Canadian produced documentary 'Pink Ribbons Inc', a very thought-provoking film asking whether breast cancer pink ribbons have become a profit-making rather than disease-eliminating industry. The film has had a big impact on me and I believe that part of Butterfly Collection's job is to be responsible to your breast health as well as your comfort and style so I want to share with you some of the themes from the documentary.

Pros of the Film

1. It raised questions about how many chemicals in our food and cosmetics mimic the hormone estrogen,  something that is linked to breast cancer. 90% of the 100,000 commercial chemicals in the US have never been tested for their effects on human health - we're eating and wearing some of these chemicals!
2. It asked whether we've become too used to the Pink face of breast cancer and forgotten the ugly reality which should make us want to demand better legislation about our consumable products and environment.
3. It showed a group of women who will die from breast cancer talking about how alienated they feel from the breast cancer fund raising because it doesn't resonate with the reality of breast cancer. (Check out this incredible photographic tribute to women facing breast cancer http://www.thescarproject.org/)

Cons of the Film

1. The commentators didn't come down on the women who walk, run etc for The Cure however, they implied that they were being completely pink-washed with the warm and fuzzy marketing. It neglected to acknowledge that the reason Pink resonates with these women is because it represents the love they feel for their sisters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers, friends etc. The warm and fuzzy part is the love we feel for one another and that's why millions of women around the world want to get out and fund raise.
2. They went a bit overboard on the sinister background music while a lone runner pounded the roads of San Fransisco. 
3. There wasn't quite enough clear direction on the things women can do TODAY to change the breast cancer funding and knowledge available to them.

 

How Quickly Things Got Off Track
The original breast cancer awareness ribbon was salmon coloured and attached to a postcard made by Charlotte Haley, a woman whose family had been widely affected by cancer, and distributed to her family and friends. The postcard read “The National Cancer Institute’s annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up our legislators and America by wearing this ribbon.” The original message was all about cancer prevention and research transparency.

Estee Lauder wanted to buy the rights to Charlotte's ribbon to use as the symbol for fund-raising, Charlotte said no, it was a symbol of demanding rights and change not money.  Estee Lauder changed the colour to Pink and so was born one of the most successful marketing campaigns of all time.

Pink Product Overload
Over the last few years there has been an alarming increase in the number of 'pink products', many of which are obviously not breast health friendly; the most frightening example is a pink ribbon bucket from KFC! Although the specific causes of breast cancer are not known it doesn't take a genius to figure out that filling your body with saturated fat isn't part of 'The Cure'! So why are we jumping into bed with anyone willing to donate a few dollars to The Cure?

The Fairy Pink-Mother
The company behind all the Pink Ribbon affiliations (including the KFC debacle) is Susan G Komen for The Cure (most recently under fire for stopping funds for breast cancer screening at Planned Parenthood centers). The film looks closely at the activities and motivations of this company and asks whether advances in breast cancer research are being harmed not helped because SGK has lost sight of ending not perpetuating breast cancer.

Great resources at Worldwide Breast Cancer website

North American has one of the Highest Breast Cancer Rates
Breast Cancer rates are higher in North American and Western Europe than the rest of the world. Because the rates are so high in Canada, America, the UK and parts of Western Europe you'd expect a lot of money is being spent on working out which environmental factors have an impact on breast cancer rates, right? Wrong.

Does the Pink Ribbon Prefer 'The Cure' over 'The Cause'?
Over a billion dollars has been raised for all sorts of different researchers looking for a cure. A cure would of course be an incredible breakthrough and change the face of mortality rates across the world. The pharmaceutical company that finds a cure will literally make billions so the stakes are financially high and this is the biggest reason the focus is on The Cure and not The Cause of breast cancer.

 

If we still don't know The Cause why are we focused on The Cure?
The short answer is, Money. Firstly, pharmaceutical companies can make billions from a cure but they won't make a penny if it turns out we can eliminate The Cause. Secondly, studying which environmental factors contribute to breast cancer would include poking around the manufacturing processes and chemicals used by companies like Revlon, Avon and Ford all of which generate millions of sales from Pink Ribbon activities. 

The Vicious Pink Circle
Some of the major players in Pink Ribbon fund raising could also be some of the biggest sources of chemicals in our daily lives that are causing the very problem they're promoting the cure for. It's like buying cigarettes to find a cure for lung cancer. If big players like Susan G Komen continue to distribute funds in a way that doesn't upset their biggest sponsors then we may never get to the root of the problem.

Revlon's pink ribbon slogan, 'The Beauty of Giving', probably best sums up the vicious circle of some breast cancer fund-raising tactics.  

1. The beauty of giving is that you can keep giving (or buying makeup in this case) as long as there's a cause to buy for.
2. By making breast cancer more 'beautiful' in a pink bow it doesn't seem as scary or urgent to solve so we keep buying products (that potentially cause the problem).
3. By giving some sales proceeds to charity Revlon can avoid being asked to research whether chemicals in their make-up contribute to breast cancer, because no-one's going to bite the hand that feeds them.

Five Things you Can Do To Change Things
The message that struck me most is that we need to shift from finding a Cure to finding the Cause. Something has changed in the last 40 years to cause more women to get breast cancer - we can find out what that something is and prevent it from killing women. Prevention may very well be The Cure.

1) Download this Think Before You Pink Toolkit to find out how to spend your pink ribbon dollars effectively

2) In the US there are no restrictions used on body care products. You can demand change by contacting your Representative and asking them to support the Safe Cosmetics Act.

3) Canadians can demand changes in cosmetics laws by filling in this super easy pledge at Environmental Defense.

4) Become familiar with Dr Susan Love's website, it has a no-nonsense approach to preventing, treating and researching a cure for breast cancer. Read her take on the Race for the Cause not the Cure.

5) Join the campaign for Safer Cosmetics, including getting toxic chemicals out of baby products.

I'll be doing a follow up blog with more info on the cosmetics side of this story - I for one rely on my war-paint but I'm not willing to risk my life on looking fabulous. I've found some great companies doing beautiful (inside and out) work in the cosmetics and beauty industry.

Pink Ribbons Inc is jam-packed full of details about the fund-raising methods, disposal of funds and general 'pink-washing' that keep us from eliminating breast cancer from our lives. For those of you who are able to go and see it I highly recommend it, for everyone else I hope some of the points in this blog get you thinking in a new way about our role in demanding a cure for a disease that kills 59,000 women in North America every year. xx

The Easy Guide to Self Breast Exams

 

Continuing our tips on keeping your breasts healthy all year round we look at self breast exams. This simple, free, at-home technique has saved thousands of lives. Over 90% of women who detect their breast cancer early, survive so it's worth adding this 10 minute routine to your life. Teaching our daughters the importance of this exam will instill a healthy and potentially life-saving habit in them. If you need convincing watch this video.

You may have heard conflicting views on self exams and that stems from concerns that women don't know what they're feeling for so the first lump they feel frightens them and they get too scared to visit the doctor. This is why it's so important to KNOW YOUR BOOBS! By really exploring your breast tissue and asking your doctor for advice on what to look for you can learn which parts of your breasts are just bumpy and which bits need investigation.

The top 3 things to remember when doing a self breast exam are:

1. Do it at the same time every 2-3 months so your breasts are at the same point in your cycle. 1 week after your period ends is best because any water retention and swelling will have gone.
2. Lie down so that you're not working against gravity and you can work around the whole breast easily.
3. Know that boobs are bumpy! Becoming familiar with the architecture of your boobs will tell you that they're made up of lots of bumps. Knowing which bumps are you and which are new is what saves lives.

I think this video simplifies the process and explains what to do Click Here to View. Lisa Masterson from The Doctors also talks about her personal breast cancer story on The Talk:

Self breast exams are a great tool for early detection but there are other signs you can keep a look out for:
* Swelling, warmth, or redness in the breast
* Changes in size and shape of the breasts
* Puckering or retraction of the skin or nipple/new nipple inverstion
* Nipple discharge, especially bloody
* Itchy, scaly rash on the nipple
* Skin dimpling (like an orange peel)
* A lump under the arm/lymph node
* Pain associated with one spot, which doesn’t go away
* Sore, swollen, inflamed breast (a sign of rare inflammatory breast cancer)

Doing self breast exams should be a natural part of being a girl like needing rather than simply wanting shoes and buying chocolate in times of disaster. xx

5 Things You Can Do to Fight Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has grown year after year to become an international event raising millions of dollars and awareness. While this is a huge success there is a problem with the recurrence of BCAM - it raises the question "why haven't we found a cure yet?" Some women still believe that no matter what you do if you're diagnosed with cancer, that's the end. While it's important to look forward and raise money it's also vital to establish how far we've come in the fight against breast cancer so we recognize how important it is to continue the fight.

So why isn't there a Cure?
Renowned Canadian scientist Dr. Tak Mak explains that because there are so many different genetic and cell combinations that cause breast cancer there is no one treatment cures all therapy. "It's like a computer where there are, say, 20,000 pieces. In any one patient you can have 50 different pieces go wrong out of the 20,000 but it's a different piece every time." Mapping which parts go wrong is a huge part of finding cures. Breast Cancer used to be one big generic term, today doctors know how to identify types of cancer and which course of treatment is best for that particular strain. 

How do we know we're making progress?
1) Since 1999, the incidence of breast cancer in Canada has stabilized.
2) Female breast cancer mortality rate decreased from 21.8 per 100,000 in 2009 to 21.4 per 100,000 in 2010.
3) In 1986, the Canadian breast cancer mortality rate was 32 per 100,000. This rate has fallen by more than 30% and is currently the lowest it has been since 1950.
4) At present, the five-year relative survival rate for female breast cancer in Canada is 87% (84% for men) which means women diagnosed with breast cancer have an 87% likelihood of being alive 5 years after their diagnosis.

Source: Canadian Cancer Society /National Cancer Institute of Canada. Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010, Toronto, Canada, 2010

What are the reasons for higher survival rates?
1) Screening - One of the biggest advances in the fight against breast cancer is screening for early detection. Catching breast cancer early is the greatest weapon. If you are a healthy woman over 40 with no history of breast cancer in your family it is a great idea to have a mammogram every 1-2 years. You can visit www.car.ca (Canadian Association of Radiologists) Mammography Accreditation Program; to find a CAR-accredited site.

2) Research and Treatments - To develop effective treatments doctors have to be able to establish the cause and this is the time consuming part of developing a cure. It's not too long ago that all breast cancers were diagnosed and treated in the same way. Today there are distinct types of breast cancer with recognized sub-sects that can be identified and treated accordingly. Dr. Tak Mak, molecular biologist and director of The Campbell family for Breast Cancer Research at Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital, says "In the last 20 years we are developing drugs that are more targeted and that can kill fewer normal cells and more cancer cells." More targeted treatments have fewer unnecessary side-effects.

3) Education - Before the treatments and knowledge that we have now, being diagnosed with breast cancer was a foregone conclusion. People didn't talk about it and just faced the inevitable. Today we know that having the education to understand your body and live a healthy lifestyle are your greatest defenses against breast cancer. Here are 5 things you can do in the fight against this disease:

• Learn how to perform a self breast exam (I will be posting about this on Wednesday)
• Know your family history - find out about the breast history of your family members
• Eat well and exercise - include berries and dark green vegetables in your diet (I will be posting about cancer fighting alkaline foods next week)
• Get to know your doctor - a great doctor will help you understand your body, what changes to look out for, what changes you could make in other areas (blood pressure for example) that will improve your overall health and if and when you should be making a mammogram appointment
• Donate to Breast Cancer Research. Every dollar really does bring us a step closer to keeping our Moms, daughters, aunts, nieces and grandmothers safe.

I hope you feel inspired and optimistic that even though we don't have all the cures yet, the journey is saving lives every day. With love from two generations of survivors xx