Unfortunately, the whole 'pink' campaign is nothing more than a marketing ploy to sell more mammograms and expensive screening procedures, which statistics show have very little benefit and actually cause more harm than good. They are very profitable, tho.

Actually here is what the Center for Disease states. Mammograms check a woman's breasts for cancer before there are signs or symptoms of the disease.They are the best way to find breast cancer early when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer.

In addition, being able to compare previous screenings to a recent one can show subtle tissue changes revealing the presence of the earliest signs of cancer. This is only made possible from one screening to the next. Mammograms should be started at age 50 for women with no family history of breast cancer. One third of women who were found with stage four cancer and died had never had a screening, while another one third had only one screening. Those who have a family history should start ten years earlier from the date of the diagnose of the family member.

Stanmrak, Contrary to your statement, mammograms do save lives, especially for black women who have a slightly higher percentage of cancer levels then white women in the 50-65 age group. The death of even one woman from breast cancer is devastating. Call me biased, I lost my mom after an eleven year battle with it.

I'm all about finding a cure for cancer. But breast cancer isn't the only cancer out there that needs a cure. How about a campaign for cures for all forms of cancer? Realistically, this pink thing is getting out of hand. Take the NFL for instance. You might as well put the players in pink uniforms. Now even the coaches are wearing pink baseball caps. It's time for the NFL and other organizations to stand up and say to the breast cancer awareness people, we feel for you and we want you to realize a cure in your lifetimes. But we are now moving our support to all forms of cancer.

If this pink campaign goes on much longer, people will grow tired of it and contributions will begin to decrease. Besides, why pink? men get breast cancer too.

Someone needs to learn to pick his battles.

Professionals that I am in contact with (medical and oncology-psychological) agree that the pink ribbon campaign has outlived it's original intent, which was to raise breast cancer *awareness*. Many of us who live with cancer call October Pinktober because it has now transitioned into a marketing tool with everything from soup to yogurt to taxicabs. Many companies use the pink ribbon only as a show of support and are not contributing financially which can be misleading to some consumers. Of course fundraising is honorable and needed but it can be done with grace and respect. The barrage of everything pink can be very disheartening to patients and their families. Please gently inquire of your friend/family member with cancer about how they feel about their cancer's colored ribbon before assuming they would appreciate receiving one of these items. Thanks.

timetraveler-1677802- I am so sorry you lost your mother to cancer, my condolences. The loss of a mother is so terrible and has such a profound impact on a family. The major reason you are now seeing "pink" in so many places and perhaps not more attention on pancreatic cancer is two fold. First, pancreatic cancer equally strikes both men and women and is the forth leading cause of the cancer deaths. If you do a google search you will find there are fundraisers and other events going on all over the nation. Including the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which covers every state, as well as the American Cancer society. I have lost two people I knew to that cancer also, and my father to liver cancer.

Second, breast cancer almost always strikes women exclusively. For far too long it was a disease which women were too embarrassed to speak about, talk to their husbands, boyfriends or even doctors about and quietly died from. With the advent of modern technology a way has now been made to help all women fight back but for so many it is difficult to openly talk about their breasts. Most women who are in the oldest age group are still unable to discuss their breasts let alone have a stranger handle them. Including being subjected to a machine which compresses them painfully. So coaxing a woman to come in and take the test can be difficult especially if she feels it isn't needed as there is no family history, why bother she may believe.

There is a saying in the car buying business. After you buy your car, you see it everywhere. Once your attention is focused onto something it seems like it is everywhere. The fact that more people are trying to reach out and save others mothers, daughters, sisters, wives and grandmothers is a wonderful thing. With our modern technology and communications we can get news from anywhere to anywhere. Yet how many times do people have to be told something before they act on it? Then throw in this particular sensitive issue. Studies have shown people may have to hear something more then 12 times before they act on it. What these firefighters are dong is incredible I believe. That some men are willing to support a woman's issue with impacts a whole family speaks volumes to how far we have come as a society in recognizing how this disease devastates the lives of those it strikes. We just may beat cancer when everyone supports each other in doing all we can to live healthy lives and take steps to stay healthy. Being responsible for ourselves is the most important principal of all.

If you want to support the fight against breast cancer, do so, but find something other than the Susan G Komen Foundation, as most of your donation only goes to support the foundation (according to my research results).

Just another republican trying to bust a union, it's not like the guys want to wear the t-shirts every day, just Thursdays. If I recall correctly, this pig choked eating steak and collapsed with no pulse about a year ago, first responders ended up breaking 5 ribs trying to revive him, so I guess it's personal to him twice, can't stand unions, and mad that he's still alive.

I like when he said this after he came from the hospital;

"My wife, my family, my friends, they had to keep the vigil, God bless," he said.

But, he couldn't say God Bless THEM!