Navigating Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Personal Perspective on Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I meet the month of October each year with anxiety, bracing myself to endure the onslaught of “pink promotions” throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM).

In my opinion, during October, breast cancer seems to be portrayed as a temporary setback that can be overcome; and indeed, some women (and men) will overcome it. But it is important to remember that some do not, like those in the metastatic breast cancer (mBC) community. We sometimes feel left out of the conversation during October. Out of the entire month, only one day is dedicated to mBC awareness.

Many of the campaigns implemented during Breast Cancer Awareness Month focus on educating the public about the early stage of the disease, with little emphasis on the sad reality that, for some, the disease progresses and metastasizes to other parts of the body. The messaging seems to leave out the fact that mBC is incurable and eventually leads to death.

To me, Breast Cancer Awareness Month can feel like an endless parade of celebratory festivities to raise funds for “awareness.” There are pink soup cans, pink buckets of chicken, pink personal care products, and pink jerseys on the football fields – pink-colored items are on full display everywhere. It seems that there is no escaping the pink during October.

Additionally, not all funds raised during these campaigns are designated toward research aimed at curing the disease. Some of us with mBC feel that we have moved beyond “awareness” and that these campaigns do not do enough to advocate for more mBC research.

One year, I had a mammogram during the month of October. The medical facility was decorated to the nines with pink balloons, pink crepe paper, pink streamers, and even pink candy. I had the uneasy feeling that cheerleaders with pink pom-poms might actually jump out from behind the counter at any moment. When I got home, I wrote a letter to the facility explaining how the festive nature of their decorations made me, an mBC patient, feel. I noted that, as someone facing a lifetime of treatments and eventual mortality, being happy and celebratory was the exact opposite of my experience. I explained that all the embellishments and trimmings actually made me feel overwhelmed, sad, and hopeless. They were very nice and apologized for overlooking my feelings. I don't know if that medical facility ever addressed the issue in a meaningful way, but I felt better and proud of myself for having spoken up and offering a different perspective.

I feel that what began as a well-meaning initiative to educate the public about breast cancer and promote early detection has morphed into a month-long display of activities. Worse, there are also some unscrupulous companies who engage in pinkwashing, which is when they claim to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon product, but are really just looking for a way to sell more.

I know that there are many people and companies who support BCAM with genuine intentions, but the truth of the matter is that October can also be a deeply distressing time for patients with mBC. The month is widely treated as a celebration, which, as someone navigating mBC, feels disconnected from the realities of what it is really like to have this disease.

My advice to those participating in Breast Cancer Awareness Month is to thoughtfully consider the following points before simply buying that “cute pink item.”

• Consider whether the message or promotion is truly educational or just focused on the color pink to attract attention.
• Read the fine print to see what percentage of funds raised will be donated and where those proceeds are going.
• Choose brands that promote wellness through clean, non-toxic items.
• Remember that, yes, awareness is important, but what is truly needed are more donations toward research that moves us closer to a cure. If you do consider donating, do so intentionally.

People within the mBC community have the power to reshape the conversation around Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or a loved one, your voice matters and advocating for mBC research can give someone with mBC a sense of fortitude and ease the anxiety that we may experience during this challenging month.

It is important to speak up and educate those who don’t understand the meaning behind the pink movement. My hope is that one day, BCAM will become Breast Cancer “Research” Month, and that the majority of funds raised will be allocated toward researching and finding a cure.