Ohio Dem Women's Group Promoting GOP Breast Cancer Organization

[OzarkDem]

What a shock to see the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus email recently promoting the Race for the Cure in Ohio. Race for the Cure is a fundraising event for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, a group founded and run by Bush Pioneer Nancy Brinker.

As you can see at the link below, Ms. Brinker is a large funder of GOP canididates (including Rick Santorum) as well as the RNC

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=brinker&txtState=FL&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

Komen is the largest cause marketer of breast cancer - using corporations to exploit the breast cancer issue to raise a few pennies for breast cancer "research" (the majority of cancer research is funded at the National Cancer Institute and the DoD Breast Cancer Research Program) while lining their corporate pockets with hundreds of millions in profits.

Not only does Komen exploit a tragic disease for corporate profit, they also lobby behind the scenes against important legislative initiatives like the Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program, (which provides Medicaid coverage to uninsured breast and cervical cancer patients) and funding for research into the impact of environmental factors on the growing rate of breast cancer incidence.

Democratic women can do much better than support the Walmart of breast cancer organizations. They can talk to their party leaders and their elected officials about supporting real changes that will eradicate breast cancer - like

ensuring access to high quality breast cancer diagnosis and treatment for all uninsured women

restoring funding for quality breast cancer research, including research to find out what impact the environment has on developing breast cancer

adequate funding for support services for women who are disabled during breast cancer treatment

protection of patients rights in the workplace and with insurance providers to prevent discrimination based on cancer risk or diagnosis

affordable prices for anti-cancer drugs

Call the Ohio Democratic Party today and ask them to stop supporting GOP backed breast cancer groups. Women's lives are too important to jump on the most flashy breast cancer "bandwagon".

Phone: 1-877-OHIO DEM

"We will not be quiet
We will not go away
And we will not die politely"

On edit: If you're looking for a breast cancer group to support, try supporting the one where President Clinton dedicated a fund in his mother's name - the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund

http://www.natlbcc.org/

[babylonsister]

1. The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation still raises tons

of money for breast cancer research. While I obviously don't share their political views, I do applaud all the efforts they've made on breast cancer study and looking for cures.

[OzarkDem]

3. Not that much, really - their work is harmful

The NCI and DoD Breast Cancer Research spend nearly $1 billion per yr on breast cancer research. Total of ALL private research funding is less than $15 million a year.

Its definitely not worth the damage they do fighting coverage for uninsured women and blocking research funding for breast cancer & environmental factors.

It also doesn't atone for their discriminatory practices against African American breast cancer programs.

Don't buy the marketing, they are bad.

[pecwae]

5. From what I understand about Komen

they push the mammos, which is great, but do little or nothing in terms of cure or prevention. They put me off pink ribbons and I'm a 2-time BC survivor.

[OzarkDem]

7. They also do nothing about treatment

Early detection is meaningless unless its followed by treatment. That's where the barriers come in.

Komen is happy to give everyone a mammogram, then abandon them. In our area they don't even bother to follow up to see if women got into treatment in time - many don't. The average uninsured woman in our area will go 3 or 4 months until she can get into treatment.

Komen also refuses to publicize the free screening and treatment programs that the federal government provides to some patients.

[pecwae]

11. 3-4 months to wait

for treatment is too long in so many cases. I didn't know about the refusal to publicize, but I'm no fan of Komen so it doesn't surprise me.

[Contrary1]

12. A little sidenote...

Being very involved with Breast Cancer leads me to believe there are far too many who are misdiagnosed. The friend I mentioned was treated for having an ER+ breast cancer for well over a year, before the mistake was detected.

And, then there's me. My mammogram clearly showed the tumor. In fact, the technician even circled it on the film, drew an arrow to it, and put a large question mark, indicating something was not right. It was never written up on the report. I found it myself seven months later. I consider myself fortunate, even though it had metastasized.

Ultrasounds are far better for diagnosis. I encourage all the women I meet to demand one.

[pecwae]

14. Good grief!

I'm sorry you had to go through that. It's inexcusable!

[OzarkDem]

15. Quality breast cancer care is lacking

Sorry it took so long for you, I had the same experience. I always encourage women w/ suspicious mammograms to go to the institutions who screen the largest number of women every year. Their radiologists are more experienced. The small clinics and docs offices just don't have the same equipment and experience. I also attend a lot of the medical conferences and seminars - its surprising how many oncologists don't attend.

Women have to arm themselves with the best and latest information and advocate for their own care. That's why I attend the conferences - so I can help other women ask the right questions when they're diagnosed and going through treatment. Its called Peer to Peer Patient Navigation. Women are much more likely to listen to a fellow breast cancer survivor about getting screening and treatment, but you have to have a lot of training. Again, these are also programs Komen doesn't support. They actually try to cut support for groups that provide these services because they don't want competition for fundraising.

[babylonsister]

8. Per their website, they've raised $630 million for

cancer research, education, screening and treatment. That's no small potatoes.
I didn't realize their ties to the repugs, but having heard about this org. for
years and the people who back it, I think they are trying to do the right
thing.
And PS, I to am a BC survivor.

[pecwae]

9. I hope you're continuing

to do well. We have a lot of BC and cancer of all types on DU.:hug:

[babylonsister]

16. Yes, I'm fine AFAIK, thanks.

I was diagnosed in 83, so it's been a long time ago.

[OzarkDem]

10. President Clinton disagrees

he backs the National Breast Cancer Coalition. As someone who knows good research and health care policy, I trust his judgement also.

Komen's $640 million is a drop in the bucket compared to more than $10 BILLION raised by NBCC through its advocacy.

NBCC also makes sure the money is being spent on worthwhile research. Komen opposes research into environmental factors.

Also, Komen's definition of "treatment" is a biopsy. The DON'T, repeat DO NOT, pay for full treatment for breast cancer patients. As a survivor, you know 1 year of treatment costs about half a million dollars or more. Komen would have to have a race every day to raise that kind of money.

They also don't support African American breast cancer programs. While you may not be an African American, neither am I, but I support their rights, too. African American women have breast cancer mortality rates that are twice as high as white women. Komen should be ashamed for the way they treat them.

[babylonsister]

17. You have obviously researched this a lot more than I

have and have educated me, so thanks. I took from your original OP that, because they back repugs, they were somehow unworthy. I just think any organization who is doing anything to raise money for cancer patients and/or research is at least doing something positive, regardless of their political affiliation.

And I had never heard Komen didn't support AA breast cancer programs. That is weirder than weird, and I don't know how they justify it.

[OzarkDem]

18. Komen is a Texas organization

run by GOP hacks. Its not surprising they would discriminate against AA breast cancer groups. That's not to say all Texans are racist, but the combination of GOP and Texas usually comes up with that result.

The AA breast cancer groups in the US dislike them immensely. Their "education" programs which consist of insulting women for not getting mammograms, but not discussing how to get treatment if they don't have health insurance. One program I saw of theirs was so insulting to low income women, full of shouting at women and accusations. They were spending tens of thousands on a program to teach women how to dial the phone and make an appointment for a mammogram. It was highly insulting to these low income women. I refused to refer anyone to it.

In our area they work overtime to destroy groups who try to assist women after they've been diagnosed with breast cancer.

[bloom]

2. I also recommend Breast Cancer Action

http://www.bcaction.org/

[Contrary1]

4. Unbelievable.

How anyone can support a group of thugs who have cut funding from virtually every type of cancer research is beyond me.

I've only participated in Komen's Race for the Cure one time. After seeing so much of the money going to advertising and T-Shirts, that was enough. I support local research at Indiana University Medical Center now. I believe it is money much better spent.

A good friend of mine will be buried tomorrow after battling breast cancer for over 7 years. Could more research have saved her? We will never know.

By the way, if you know of anyone who is in need of an online support group for breast cancer, feel free to pass this link along to them, or contact me personally.

Friends In Need

[OzarkDem]

6. So sorry to hear about your friend

Its a tragic illness that, compared to other cancers, affects younger women. There is still so little known about what causes it, how to prevent it and how to cure it.

Quality research for a cure that focuses on the important questions is absolutely crucial. So is finding a better, cheaper, more accurate means of detecting breast cancer. Mammography is terrible - the equivalent of getting an x-ray of your stomach to see if you are pregnant. Women deserve better.

Its also tragic to see how many uninsured women don't have access to screening, treatment and support services. Many get bounced around the health care system and turned away for lack of insurance until their tumors have metastasized. Early detection means nothing when you're uninsured and can't get a doctor to do a biopsy.

OTOH, there are many great treatments and diagnostic tests coming along that will save lives and also help many women avoid chemo and radiation that they don't need.

[pecwae]

13. I'm sorry about your friend.

Cancer has cut short the lives of too many. Sometimes I go tinfoil about the seriousness of finding a cure when I hear news like this.