I’m BACK…With an Editorial..and Need Your Help!
After He Said Cancer | Seattle Times Editorial
Dear Readers and Supporters,
On Monday, July 27th, the Seattle Times will publish an Op-Ed that I wrote about the hidden cases of male breast cancer.
I am asking for your support to “like” the article, write comments about something you found interesting, share a personal story, or thank the Times for publishing the piece. If you have been touched by male breast cancer, please talk about this in the comments. Maybe you have a strong family history of breast cancer in the women in your family and are now worried about the same cancer affecting men in your family. If you are willing to take out a digital subscription on the same page as the editorial, this will be tracked and help engagement.
If we can demonstrate support for this Op-Ed, published in the Seattle Times on a Monday, then it is more likely that the next article I write on male breast cancer will be placed in a newspaper with an even higher readership. This is an excellent opportunity to rally the support from communities of cancer survivors, the widows/widowers of cancer patients, and families connected with male breast cancer or any cancer.
Without giving away too much about the Op-Ed, I talk about my connection to female breast cancer as an Ob/GYN and the shock when my husband was diagnosed. I discuss the concerning rise in cancer rates among young people and Gen X, which has been referred to as Gen “C” (for cancer).
The world isn’t getting any cleaner or less polluted. Male breast cancer is one of many cancers that have been linked to toxic chemicals and air pollutants. It’s hard to ignore odd clusters of male breast cancer that have popped up in small geographic areas or in certain professions. I can only imagine the additional number of female breast cancers that are linked to the same exposures to toxic water, air, and our daily environment.
Another risk factor for male breast cancer is being overweight, which is a problem for nearly half of the men and women in the United States. As we gain weight, our breast tissue grows. Current health guidelines advise that men who notice growth of the breast tissue in their chest should speak to a doctor and consider getting screened.
Do you know any men who are aware of this recommendation? Or, do you know any men exposed to air pollution or toxins associated with military service or their profession (e.g., firefighters) who realize that they are at greater risk for male breast cancer? Would they advocate for themselves to get a screening mammogram?
I don’t think so, and that’s the point.
Male breast cancer is something that we can screen for, detect at an early stage, and treat before it becomes widespread. My husband’s cancer was a hair's breadth away from being metastatic. I will never stop worrying about his risk for cancer recurrence.
I will send another post on Monday with a link to the Op-Ed, and ask for your help in visiting the link, adding a like, making a comment, and subscribing to the digital Seattle Times for a month from the same page as the Op-Ed.
Please share this with anyone you think might support this effort. Engagement with this Op-Ed will help lift this cancer into the public eye, at least for a short time.
As always, I thank you for your encouragement and support.
Kristina
50 years ago a male member of my then church had breast cancer. I remember the church collectively gasping. None of us had ever heard of a man being diagnosed. He and his wife educated all of us as we prepared meals for their freezer. They couple was in their late forties with teenage children.
Fantastic piece! Thank you! So - vitally - important to share the information on male breast cancer. I will read, comment and spread the word of the article in all my media channels.