UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 28, 2024

Loathing pink doesn’t make breast cancer less important

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I’m starting to hate the color pink even more because of last month’s theme.

I’ve always hated the color pink. I’m not girly enough for it, I guess. 

I always found it ridiculous how much time and money was put into the awareness of breast cancer, but I’m pretty sure people are aware of the disease itself. I’m pretty sure people are familiar with all forms of cancer. 

If you feel sick, go to a doctor. If something is feeling a little funky, go to a doctor. It’s as simple as that. 

But this October was different. A few months ago one of my mom’s best friends was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was heart-breaking for my mom to see someone go through this.

The one piece of advice she gave my mom was to get tested, and she did. It turned out nothing was wrong. But a few months passed and it was October, the month where there is no escape from being aware of what month it is, so my mom got tested again.

The results were positive.

It’s always depressing when these things happen to people, but it’s different when it happens to people you know.

Why is it such a big deal? How come breast cancer has its own month while there are other, more severe forms of cancer that go around without being so pronounced?

Most diseases do in fact have their own months, though, but the counsels over the specific months haven’t raised enough money to spread awareness, or there are not enough people with specific diseases who can afford to help spread awareness. Did you know that November is National Diabetes Month?

Another reason awareness is not so heavily endorsed for these other months is because they are easier to detect. Heart disease, kidney disease or liver disease are easier to notice because those are internal parts that are used daily. You start to notice when something like that stops working properly. 

Most people think of breast cancer as being easy to detect, but it’s more than just a lumpy breast. Sometimes the lumps are too small for even doctors to notice.

Symptoms can be just like the ones right before your monthly gift. A little bit of swelling or tenderness may occur, and it’s what women are used to, so they tend to overlook it because they can tough it out. 

But that’s why everything goes unnoticed. Doctors encourage people 35 and older get mammograms once a year and people who are younger than 35 get mammograms at least once every 3-5 years. 

It always seemed like a ridiculous month plastered in pink, but it makes sense as a woman to know what is going on. Everything is possible and can happen to anyone, so do your part and fix the issue. If you notice any small issues, go to a doctor and get tested.