Do you think this FB/breast cancer thing is a load of shite?

[bintofbohemia]

I've seen a couple of statuses from friends saying they're off to live in (insert random city.) They've all had responses from friends asking all about it, loads of people texting and calling to see what's going on...

Turns out it's one of these shit "awareness" things that is supposed to promote breast cancer awareness. I don't see how it does anything of the sort - in fact is it anything to do with breast cancer or has some numpty just made it up?

I've just been sent the email explaining about it and I just thought - ffs.

IABU?

Oh I hate stuff like that, if you're genuine about wanting to help a charity then actually do something. To me all these statuses do is enable people to feel as though they've done something when really they've done sweet fa. Even if people realise the connection and for that split moment actually think of breast cancer - so what? What actually does that do? How many of those people really then go on to do fundraising or genuinely spread awareness or indeed anything that will help in a practical way? How many will even go on to check their breasts for lumps as opposed to thinking "oh yes I really must do that" and then proceed not to as they get on with fb browsing? We've all heard of breast cancer, we know it exists, we know we're meant to check for lumps. Having a transitory moment of thinking of breast cancer because of some one's stupid status doesn't actually change much.

This particularly irritates me because my dad fought with and died from cancer. I really hate with a passion that people will actually congratulate themselves for this pseudo-effort when that is all it is.

Hello. We've moved this thread to 'Facebook', as we think it's the best place for it.

DizzyKipper - I agree. DH's dad died very recently from after a very short but excruciating illness and having seen him go through that makes all this FB crap seem incredibly trite.

there's a facebook topic? well who knew?

topic cull!

Sorry don't know what came over me there

Dear god, i now have posts in the facebook topic?!

Heavens... MNHQ has a cat?

I thought they decided on a tortoise?

Perhaps it is a tortoise called Kat then.
Which is confusing.
its one in the eye for the Doghouse whichever way you look at it.

Breast cancer kills more men than testicular cancer does, it's very roughly 100 vs 70 men in the UK each year (though in terms of years of life lost testicular cancer is worse because it strikes younger).

I did not know that, Dilys.

Are you sure? It says on the Macmillan site that only 300 men per year are diagnosed with breast cancer, but 2,000 per year with testicular.

Agree with all the above. If anything it shows a distinct lack of awareness of what is effective campaigning and the "lets keep it a secret girls" aspect leaves a really nasty taste actually.

I have stolen soupdragons idea for an FB status.

Testicular cancer in men is not uncommon, but it very rarely kills, it has a 95% + survival rate because its easy to spot and easy to treat. Awareness campaigns are always a good thing of course, because it's all about speed of action.

Actually you've just prompted me to go to the ONS to check the very latest statistics, and they now do report for male breast cancer, which is new. So the definitive figures for 2010 were 62 men died of testicular cancer and 63 of breast cancer.

That's really interesting, I had no idea.