Written by Julia Emelene O. Mendoza

It is widely known that womanhood, albeit spectacular in many ways, is a tribulation in itself. As a result of the patriarchal nature of this world, one’s mere existence as a woman is attributed to inferiority. Such systemic and cultural oppression are often studied and applied within the realm of the humanities and social science; but what if I told you that science has its sneaky way of making a misfortune out of simply being a woman? 

Apparently and unfortunately, simply existing as a woman automatically puts you at large risk for breast cancer; aging is another factor. While some cases are hereditary, only a small percentage is attributed to this cause. Researchers and doctors still struggle to determine what specifically catalyzes genetic mutations linked to breast cancer. This is an unfortunate reality, especially with the numbers associated with the illness. On average, there’s a 1 in 8 chance that a woman may develop breast cancer. While men are just as capable of acquiring such misfortune, the odds are much smaller: their chances are 1 in 1000. Of all cancers, the World Health Organization recognizes breast cancer as the most rampant, with 2.3 million women all around the world sharing the diagnosis, and 695,000 fatalities—this was in 2020 alone. In the Philippines, breast cancer ranks third among the life-claiming cancers, with 27,163 annual reported cases of breast cancer, resulting in 9,926 deaths.

With the prevalence of breast cancer diagnoses and high fatality rates, one might question the significance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Initially, Breast Cancer Awareness Month was a campaign initiative started in 1985 by a partnership between the American Cancer Society and Imperial Chemical Industries’ pharmaceutical division, as well as former United States First Lady Betty Ford, who was a breast cancer survivor. The campaign aimed to bring information about breast cancer and breast health at the forefront, especially the use of mammograms. Funding research for breast cancer was also the purpose of the campaign. It was not until 1992 that the pink ribbon was used; Estée Lauder cosmetics was the first to do so. The involvement of the cosmetic brand was personal: Evelyn Lauder, daughter-in-law of Estée Lauder, was a breast cancer survivor who founded the Breast Cancer Research Fund (BCRF). The BCRF was responsible for funding the Memorial Sloan Kettering Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center, which currently offers top-notch treatments and diagnostic services. 

However, the significance of the month of pink ribbons does not end here. To be truly aware of the gravity of such an illness is to understand the lived experiences of those afflicted by it. After all, they are the reasons why the quest to gain more knowledge about breast cancer still goes on. Miranda McKeon, an American actress, was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 19. Throughout her journey with breast cancer, she was always an open book, sharing the many changes that came with her diagnosis. “I am spending every other Tuesday in the clinic while my friends are at class,” she said. “I’d rather be in class. I’d rather be doing a lot of different things. But this is my job right now,” she shares in an interview with ABC news. Having been cleared of cancer, she takes to social media to share that the end of cancer does not necessarily equate to its total exit. In a Tiktok video, she shares that chemotherapy caused the weakening of her bone density, which means bi-annually getting infusions for the next ten years of her life. In a separate post, she also shares the need to inject Lupron into her thigh every month for the next decade, as a post-cancer maintenance. This is testament to her statement in the video, in which she says that “Life after cancer does not magically revert back to normal.”

Alongside these post-cancer treatments is one of the most common ways to prevent or combat breast cancer: mastectomy. Essentially, a mastectomy is a surgical process that entails the removal of the breast. The types of mastectomies to be done varies depending on the patient’s specific case. Some may require the removal of the entire breast, nipples, areola, and the overlying skin. Other mastectomies include the chest muscles and the lymph nodes in the arms. 

While breast reconstruction surgery exists, depression and feelings of loss of sexual identity may occur after a mastectomy. This holds true for a number of breast cancer survivors. “Is somebody still going to see me as normal with all of this cancer baggage? I needed to feel as womanly as possible. I wanted to be desirable, you know,” says Shay, a 26-year old cancer survivor who thrives in her hyperfemininity. However, such sentiments aren’t consistent for all breast cancer survivors. For Eli, a non-binary cancer survivor, a double mastectomy was more beneficial as it reaffirmed their gender identity: “For me, I felt like, this is a hell of a way to transition.” 

Nonetheless, it is worth noting that the prevailing sentiments towards mastectomies and breast reconstruction surgeries are dominated by sexism, heterosexism, heteronormativity, and ableism. This holds true when put in social and clinical contexts: a 2011 research conducted by Lisa Rubin and Molly Tanenbaum explored the rationale of decisions regarding breast reconstruction among Lesbian and Bisexual cancer survivors. They found that the reasons for or against breast reconstruction echo that of heterosexual women, as opposed to what was initially assumed. Some of these reasons include the desire to return to normalcy and femininity. Rubin and Tanenbaum also cites the “able-bodied” gaze as a factor for breast reconstruction, that can be put alongside the existing male gaze: “The disabled are not only de-valued for their de-valued bodies, they are constant reminders to the able-bodied of the negative body—of what the able-bodied are trying to avoid, forget and ignore.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Month has certainly grown to become more than what it initially intended to be. Across the world, women are equipped with crucial information and sufficient awareness to truly know what their bodies feel and look like; this is important in early detection of breast cancer. More than the high fatality rates and other related statistics, true awareness is knowing how big of an impact such an illness can cause. To end this article, I would like to quote Rubin and Tanenbaum: “Breast loss raises questions about identity and what it means to be a woman, and although the simplest antidote may be a cosmetic one—to replace the lost breast(s)—perhaps, it really calls for a redefinition of what it means to be a woman.”

REFERENCES

A Brief History of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. (2019, October 17). Brevard Health Alliance. https://brevardhealth.org/blog/a-brief-history-of-breast-cancer-awareness-month/

Conner, K. (2023, February 27). Breast Cancer Myths vs. Facts. Www.breastcancer.org. https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics/myths-vs-facts

Countway Community. (2021, October 22). Breast Cancer Awareness Month | Countway Library. Countway.harvard.edu. https://countway.harvard.edu/news/breast-cancer-awareness-month

John Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Mastectomy. Www.hopkinsmedicine.org. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/breast-cancer/mastectomy#:~:text=A%20mastectomy%20is%20surgery%20to

MacKenzie, E. (2018, December 7). After a double mastectomy: How breast cancer treatment can reshape gender identity. WHYY. https://whyy.org/segments/after-a-double-mastectomy-how-breast-cancer-can-reshape-gender-identity/

Miranda McKeon on TikTok. (2023a, July 25). TikTok. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSNhxgqYP/

Miranda McKeon on TikTok. (2023b, October 2). TikTok. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSNhx3oW5/

Rogers, K. (2020, November 10). Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Breast-Cancer-Awareness-Month

Rubin, L. R., & Tanenbaum, M. (2011). “Does That Make Me A Woman?” Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35(3), 401–414. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684310395606

Tufts Medical Center. (n.d.). History of breast cancer care | Tufts Medical Center. Www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org. https://www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/patient-care-services/departments-and-services/cancer-center/clinical-care-services/breast-health-program/history-of-breast-cancer-care

Villanueva, R., & Porcalla, D. (2023, August 2). Breast cancer 3rd “most fatal type” among Filipino women. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/08/02/2285558/breast-cancer-3rdmost-fatal-type-among-filipino-women#:~:text=Based%20on%20reports%2C%20there%20were

World Health Organization. (2021, March 26). Breast cancer. Www.who.int; World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer