The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a very good publicity campaign for the cancer industry.   At least two things can be done. First, drive as many people as possible to get screened for the disease.   Second, collect donations.

Many people appreciate this activity and they are not to blamed.   But few know who are behind the campaign.   If you go to the website of the organizer for the campaign, on the "about us" page, there is no way you can learn exactly who are behind the campaign! Why can't they just tell you who exactly they are!   In a sense, you do not know what this campaign is really about.

My opinion as I mentioned early is that the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month just wants people to know the risk of breast cancer so they are more likely to undergo screening.   To me, the campaign is more about diagnosis and treatment, but not about prevention. We do not see much about prevention on the website of the campaign organizer.

I am not saying that diagnosis and treatment are not important. But prevention is the best!   By prevention I mean prevention of the disease from developing in the first place.   Indeed, the real prevention is not to wait for the disease to develop and then to screen it out and treat it.

It seems to me, another purpose of the campaign is to solicit donations in the name of supporting patients and breast cancer research.   Stores and businesses like doing this because it will bring in more sales. There is no better way to pursue shoppers to buy stuff in the name of supporting cancer research and providing patient care.   The media is very cooperative. I cited a few examples below to make my point.

 "My inbox has been deluged by companies eager to share what they're offering. Here's a sampling of what I like best (a percentage from each purchase will be donated to a cancer-related cause):

 ChapStick Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Pink Pack, with SPF 15; $3.99 for three balms, at groceries and drugstores"

By Kristy Eckert at the Columbus Dispatch

"October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for the past several months, Foxtrot Style, 1419 Grove St., has sold a special line of locally designed T-shirts from Think Pink! with the "Save the Boobs" logo. All proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation."

By STATESMAN STAFF at idahostatesman.com

"For every woman who partakes in the any of these events, Wacoal is said to be donating $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Additionally, if you decide to purchase any of their items, be aware that $2 for each Wacoal, DKNY Underwear or Donna Karen Intimates bra will also be donated."

By Nabaht Shafiei at examiner.com

I do not know exactly what the recipients of donations will do. But I do know that taxpayers have already been paying quite a lot in cancer research.   If I remember correctly, the federal government has been giving the National Cancer institute around $20 billion (about $70 per capita) every year for so many years to conduct cancer research.   Unfortunately, much of the funding goes for drug research, but not much for prevention.   I have serious doubt that private or corporate donations collected in this National Breast Cancer Awareness Month or the pink month would do much of meaningful research at all.  No one is going to do any auditing!

My suggestion is, use your money to take good care of yourself. There are many things you can do in your life to reduce your risk of breast cancer.   Breast cancer is a preventable disease!   In the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, start or continue your good lifestyle including a healthy diet to prevent this scaring disease.   Also do not forget there are other diseases that are more life-threatening than breast cancer!