Think Dirty Blog — breast cancer

Many women know that breast cancer is a serious and widespread issue affecting women of all ages. Even with all the medical and technological advances we have, the incidence rate is still on the rise globally. Cancer modelling predicts further increases in incidence and mortality in the future. Here are some key facts you might not be aware of:

• Where you live is a factor in your chances of...

Throughout Breast Cancer Prevention Month you may have heard the term pinkwashing. While you may assume that all products that don the pink ribbon actually support legitimate breast cancer organizations, that is not the case. So what is pinkwashing and how can you avoid falling prey to it?

Let’s begin with the history of the pink ribbon. Did you know that the original ribbon was not really pink, it...

Welcome to October! We’re back for another little Think Dirty History Lesson. This time, we want to talk about Breast Cancer Month.

As you likely know from the flood of pink ribbon products, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We, however, prefer to call it Breast Cancer Prevention Month, as we believe the focus should be on preventative measures. The concept of Awareness Month has garnered...

Did you know that every 69 seconds, someone is diagnosed with breast cancer. Out of those 200,000 people diagnosed with breast cancer, 6–10% are diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, the terminal diagnosis of the cancer spreading beyond the breasts, and a further 30% of those initial 200,000 will later progress to the metastatic stage. Out of the 40,000 people who die from breast cancer every...

Deborah Rhodes and her colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have created a molecular imaging system that can detect breast cancer for high-risk patients much more effectively than the traditional mammogram.  In her 2011 TEDXTALK, Rhodes explains why mammograms cannot detect benign tumors in all women and the politics that surround breast cancer. Think Dirty wishes Dr. Rhodes continual...