Think Pink. Think Again.

My neighborhood is changing.

The trees are trading green leaves for red, orange and gold. Leaves scatter across sidewalks, and mums have replaced summer’s impatiens, petunias and geraniums.

Inflatable pumpkins, ghosts and ghouls are everywhere. Giant hairy spiders stretch across bushes. Life-size skeletons lurk in yards. And then there’s Skelly—the 12-foot skeleton who makes ordinary lawn decorations look, well, ordinary.

I’ve seen plenty of Halloween displays that made me stop and stare.

But this one was different.

The Unexpected

The neighbor’s house had extra-large spiders in the bushes and witch-leg stakes scattered across the lawn. Not unusual, right?

Then I did a double take.

Pink ghosts floated among the white ones. Pink pumpkins among the orange.

At first, I simply noticed the color.

Then I noticed the message.

October is doing double duty.

It is the month of Halloween, with its make-believe monsters and imaginary scares. It is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a reminder of a disease that has touched so many families—including mine.

Beyond the Pink Ribbon

Pink has become the unofficial color of October. We see it everywhere—pink ribbons, products and campaigns. That attention has helped make breast cancer one of the most recognized cancers.

But there is much more to breast cancer than a pink ribbon can tell us. Here are four things you may not know:

1. Breast cancer isn’t one disease.
There are many types and subtypes. They can grow differently, respond differently to treatment and have different risk factors. “Breast cancer” is really an umbrella term for a collection of different diseases.

2. A lump isn’t the only warning sign.
Breast cancer can also cause skin changes, swelling, redness, nipple changes or a change in the size or shape of the breast.
Some types, including inflammatory breast cancer, may not cause a typical lump at all.

3. Some breast cancers are rare.
Inflammatory breast cancer is uncommon and aggressive. It can cause redness, swelling, warmth and changes in the appearance of the breast—symptoms that can sometimes be mistaken for an infection. Paget disease of the breast is another rare form that often affects the nipple and surrounding skin.

4. Breast cancer can affect men, too.
Breast cancer is much less common in men, but men can develop it. A lump or other unusual change in the breast or nipple shouldn’t be dismissed simply because someone is male.

The bottom line?

Breast cancer awareness isn’t just about recognizing the pink ribbon. It’s about knowing that breast cancer can look different, affect different people and take many forms.

It’s also a reminder to stay up to date with recommended screening, know what’s normal for you and talk with a health care professional about changes that concern you.

The People Behind the Pink

I eventually walked past the pink ghosts and pumpkins and headed home.

But the image stayed with me.

Maybe that’s what good reminders do. They interrupt the ordinary and make us think about someone we might otherwise have passed by.

I thought of the mother of my son’s elementary-school friend—and later, my dog’s beloved sitter. I thought of everything she endured, from radiation and chemotherapy to a double mastectomy decades later.

And I thought of my sister-in-law, Marilyn, who had inflammatory breast cancer.

Yes, October is the month we talk about breast cancer awareness. For our family, it is also the month we lost Marilyn.

October will pass. The Halloween decorations will be packed away.
The leaves will eventually disappear.

But the people behind the pink ribbon don’t disappear.

Some are still fighting.

Some are celebrating survivorship.

And some, like Marilyn, live on in the memories of the people who loved them.

Enjoy the weekend!

Best,
Suzanne

Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]