Foundation of Women's Cancer - CFC

Kaleena said:

Hey Trish:
I agree with you

Hey Trish:

I agree with you and just had my personal vent the other day.   The segment was on the Today show and I sent them an email saying although I support and applaud all of the women in treatment and the survivors of Breast Cancer, I felt that women with gynecological cancers are not getting the same kind of care.   I went on to tell them that when a woman tell a doctor about a lump or something, that they can get tests immediately without question.  However, if a women provides symptoms to a doctor that is like you say "below the belt", we are either given medications for pain, tell us it is nothing, IBS, or tell us we are depressed and want to prescribe medications.  We are not routinely given tests and if we are, it is sometimes a trying process because of insurance companies.   With breast cancer, you have self-examination.   Our only self-examination is usually pain or discomfort or none at all!   As they say, symptoms whisper.   And further with regard to below the belt cancers, once you really do have a symptom that is prevalent enough to order a scan or be approved by insurance for a scan, a lot of times the cancer is well advanced.

Gynecological cancers need to find a better way of detecting cancer.   These cancers don't always show up on scans or are just under the radar.   I went to doctors for over a year knowing something was wrong with me.   My colonoscopy, internal ultrasound and laparoscopy did not show cancer, but I ended up with Grade 2 Stage 3a after a "routine" hysterectomy.

Ok.   I vented again.   Thanks for listening!

Thinking of you, Trish.    Hope you are having a great day.

Kathy

 

I am so happy the pink marketing campaign does so much to make breast cancer so much in the news - we would all like that for us!  For instance, last year I emailed the Susan Komen group and asked if it was possible to include ALL women's cancers in their efforts.  I received a "form" email that thanked me for me interest is their organization and how much good they do for women. 

I had a lump removed in 2009 (benign), it was nothing, but I am more than my breasts. 

I wish there were tests for each one of below the belt cancers so no one had to find themselves fighting this disease so very late. 

I can "vote" for my cancer, I can wear my peach bracelet, or my Endometrial Cancer Warrior hoodie, I can also choose not to buy all the pink things they put in the stores during October.  

NoTimeForCancer said:

Boycotting PINK

I am so happy the pink marketing campaign does so much to make breast cancer so much in the news - we would all like that for us!  For instance, last year I emailed the Susan Komen group and asked if it was possible to include ALL women's cancers in their efforts.  I received a "form" email that thanked me for me interest is their organization and how much good they do for women. 

I had a lump removed in 2009 (benign), it was nothing, but I am more than my breasts. 

I wish there were tests for each one of below the belt cancers so no one had to find themselves fighting this disease so very late. 

I can "vote" for my cancer, I can wear my peach bracelet, or my Endometrial Cancer Warrior hoodie, I can also choose not to buy all the pink things they put in the stores during October.  

 

 

There is plenty of discussiom on the breast cancer board about this because it's October.  I think you will find that many of us bc survivors have similar feelings. Be sure to read them and visit TraciinLAs Expressions page to access a talk she gave to her church last year. 

 I will not purchase most pink things during this October marketing frenzie, but I do wear my pink bracelet this month.  My issue with not purchasing pink stuff is that a lot of the money from the purchase does nothing other than make money for the retailer by "raising awareness", 

I did see several ads for gyn cancers in September and I helped at an ovarian cancer run.  We're seeing more ovarian awareness I think, but there is still a whole lot of non-awareness amongst the general public about the subtle and not so subtle symptoms of all gyn cancers.  Cervical cancer has done a good job and throughout my adult life I have been pretty good about Pap smears,   A routine Pap caught my endo cancer as did a routine mammogram.  Awareness and early detection saved my life (I was "lucky" on the Pap smear thing).

If women could bring such awareness to breast cancer, I think women can bring awareness to gyn cancers.  The sheer numbers of breast cancer patients and survivors is huge and no one is offended anymore by using the word breast.  The numbers of women with gyn cancers is small by comparison, partly because a lot of women have had hysterectomies for reasons other than cancer.  Most of my friends had hysterectomies long before I got endo cancer,  Women don't talk so much about gyn cancers and no one wants to hear the terms we use.  I mean really, had you ever even heard the term "vaginal cuff" before?   

As women we're at risk for all women's cancers, and I would so like to see more of a focus on all of the cancers unique to us, as well as more mention of men with breast cancer, but I truly do not know what the answer is. 

Suzanne