$16,700 for each life lost to prostate cancer
$21,800 for each life lost to breast cancer
$160,000 for each life lost to AIDS.
Breast cancer for women and prostate cancer for men are quite similar afflictions. Consider these projections from the American Cancer Society:
| Breast cancer (females) | Prostate cancer (males) | |
|---|---|---|
| New cases (2004) | 215,990 | 230,110 |
| Deaths (2004) | 40,580 | 29,900 |
Yet in the media and our culture, prostate cancer and breast cancer are far from similar. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and the disease is receiving significant national attention, just as it does every year. Many celebrities have taken up the cause of raising money to fight breast cancer. The Arch in St. Louis is lit pink this month, the first-ever case of supporting for a “cause” by decorating the Arch. This precedent concerns the National Park Service, but they were overruled.
In stark contrast to the “popular” cause of fighting breast cancer is the short shrift given prostate cancer. I’m aware of no groundswell of support from Hollywood to raise awareness about this cancer. I can’t remember the last time I heard about a musician giving a benefit concert to raise money to fight it. And by the way, were you aware that September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month? Something tells me you weren’t.
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1 comment:
Thanks for the article. The American Cancer Society contributes to this problem: they spend twice as much fighting breast cancer as they do fighting prostate cancer.
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