We'll Support Your Pink, But Let Us Keep Our Black!

I visited the Pink Palace today…otherwise known as the neighborhood mall.  My kids commented on how much pink there was and asked where the pumpkins and ghosts were since it's October.  I explained that it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and that many stores have special deals in which proceeds from sales go to breast cancer research and awareness.  I explained to them that it’s a good thing and that’s why so many people and stores participate.  And it is.

Then my daughter said, “Look daddy!  It’s YOUR ribbon!”  Sure enough, I looked at the Lady Footlocker display and saw this:

Well, obviously, it’s not “my” ribbon…it was part of a display for "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer."  Still, I was a little taken back in that breast cancer awareness is a pink RIBBON campaign…but here before me was a black ribbon associated with breast cancer awareness.

Melanoma awareness isn’t as established, and there’s a mixed of orange and black awareness colors, but the primary associated color is black.  Black ribbons represent many other things (mourning, remembrance, and gang prevention among others)…but when it comes to cancer, it belongs to melanoma awareness.

I understand the main color of the display was pink, with black lettering.  But when it comes to the actual ribbon…breast cancer awareness folks, PLEASE stick with pink.  We melanoma folks are having a tough enough time establishing our own presence without having our ribbon color be used by others.

(And for those that might call me hypocritical since I use the word “pink” in my own campaign, you may have a point.  But I've only used a black ribbon, with the exception of the black AND pink ribbon when discussing the genetic link between the two cancers.)

Linked to Pink?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  But did you know that Melanoma could have a direct link to the Pink Cancer?  It’s true!  An article in the Skin Cancer Foundation’s website explains how having one of these cancers raises the odds of developing the other.   (Thanks to the curator of Hotel Melanoma for bringing this to our attention).

Dr. Gillian Murphy of the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, states that patients with melanoma or other skin cancers have always been at higher risk of developing other malignancies , but with breast cancer, there’s a fourfold increase.  Per Dr. Gillian, this “raises the possibility of a genetic predisposition linking the two cancers.”

This is good news for a couple of reasons.  First of all, research for one type of cancer may now aid in research for the other.  Any little bit of new information we learn about one just may indeed help out the other.

The second reason is admittedly more selfish.  Melanoma Awareness needs a boost…and the Breast Cancer Awareness campaign is about a big a boost as a campaign can get.  In the month of October, you’ll see about as much pink as you will traditional autumn colors.  Whoever first marketed the idea for this pink awareness campaign was either a genius, a sales whiz, or really darned lucky.  But imagine…a small amount of proceeds from everything donning a pink ribbon goes to Breast Cancer Research or Awareness.  And not just t-shirts and hats, but candy, detergent, and even Chick-fil-A meals!  I know that there is never enough money for research, but by golly, the Pink Warriors have a good thing going.

This might sound like jealousy.  It’s not. Despite this blog’s name “Black is the New Pink,” I’ve had the utmost respect for the Pink Ribbon campaign.  No…not jealousy.  Envy.  Like an LA Clipper fan that envies the Lakers.  Like a NY Mets fan that envies the Yankees.  It’s not hate…it’s envy.  And in my case towards Breast Cancer Awareness, it’s respect.

I would love to see the Melanoma Awareness campaign be half as effective as the Pink Ribbon campaign.  Unfortunately, we have a few things going against us.  For one thing, the gurus that determined the cancer awareness ribbon colors assigned Melanoma the color black.  This is appropriate in that the word “melanoma” literally means “black tumor.”  But unfortunately, black ribbons also represent death and mourning.  Orange is an alternate color I’ve occasionally seen associated with Melanoma Awareness…but black dominates for now.  I doubt that Keebler would don the black ribbon on their packaging for fear the public would think the elves died. 



© Keebler...dead or alive



Another thing going against us is that non-melanoma skin cancer is so damned treatable.  This is a good thing if you discover your skin cancer is non-melanoma…but it’s a bad thing for melanoma’s street cred.  “It’s Just Skin Cancer.”  No…it’s not…but most folks just don’t get it.  Until they get it.  I don’t wish for non-melanoma cancers (such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) to become more deadly, however the fact that they’re very treatable creates an ironic barrier for Melanoma Awareness Campaigners.

Partnering up, or perhaps merely riding the coattails of Breast Cancer Awareness might be Melanoma’s big break.  Whether it is or not, we at least have our small rebellious forces of Melanoma Warriors…screaming from our blogs and Miles For Melanoma events…and hoping to be heard.

In this spirit of breast cancer awareness, I’ve prepared a little treat.  I’m not a programming genius, but I made up a movie (my first attempt ever) with my own little take regarding the link between Breast Cancer and Melanoma.  I apologize for no sound to this movie.  It’s a little over a minute long, so the silence shouldn’t be too overbearing.  If any readers have some suggestions regarding a freebie soundtrack or enhancement, feel free to inquire and I’d be willing to make an adjustment.  Until that point, please enjoy what I’ve prepared…and by all means share it!

What is "Black is the New Pink?"

No one wants to think about cancer.  It’s a nasty, ugly and cruel disease that, most likely, has affected someone you know.  No matter the type of cancer encountered, survival is a struggle and the prospect of death is very scary.  But thank goodness there is progress in the fight against cancer every day.  Still, cancer not something we want to think about often.  But I’m asking you to do so for just a minute.

When you think about cancer, what color do you think about?  Some of you may say “yellow” as you recall the successful Livestrong campaign inspired by Lance Armstrong.  But I would bet that many of you thought of the color pink.  Pink has become synonymous with breast cancer awareness and it’s been an extremely successful campaign.

In the past, I believe many people (mostly men) figured breast cancer was handled through a mastectomy.  “Geesh, so you lost a boob…but you’re all better now.”  Obviously, there was little awareness and perhaps little sympathy by the general public.  But over time, people have become wiser…and thanks to the successful pink awareness campaign, most people are highly aware of the seriousness of breast cancer. Thank goodness for that.

So why am I promoting the color black?  Well, black is the associated color with skin cancer.  “Ah yes…the cancer that can simply be removed by cutting off a bad mole, right?”  In many cases, that could very well be the treatment.  But there’s a far more serious version of skin cancer…a true killer and one of the fastest growing cancers out there: Melanoma.

My brother Jeff was diagnosed with Melanoma in 2004.  He had an ugly spot on his back and a biopsy confirmed the disease.  A few weeks later, he had it cut out.  That was simple…it was gone.  No more cancer.  Later in life, he would claim he was a cancer survivor and we’d all giggle a little.  After all, cancer survivors are people who go through horrendous radiation and chemotherapy.  They lose their hair.  That’s a cancer survivor…not someone who had a 10 minute mole extraction.  Right?

In the spring of 2010, my brother found a dry patch on his right cheek.  The Melanoma was back after six years.  Again, he had it removed through a chemo cream and minor surgery.  But a month later, another patch appeared.  Same treatment and this time it looked like he was a survivor once again (giggle).

In August of 2010, Jeff went to the doctor for a general visit following a stress test.  The doctor reported that his test results were great and asked if he had any questions or concerns.  My brother mentioned recent memory lapses and difficulty reading.   The doctor took notice and ordered him to have some tests run immediately.  The Melanoma was back…only this time it had metastasized to his brain and lungs.

In November of 2010, after three months of horrendous radiation and chemotherapy, Jeff died.  The Melanoma had the last giggle.

When we were kids, neither one of us were aware of skin cancer of any type.  Sunburns were common as we used a baby oil and iodine mixture to help establish a glistening tan.  We swam in the pool for hours and we played in the yard under the sun all day long.  We were blissfully and wonderfully unaware of the affects the sun could be having on our skin.

My brother was aware later in life.  Despite the teasing of his cancer survival, he took it quite seriously and became actively involved in the Relay For Life program in the Cleveland, Ohio area.  And towards the end of his life, he wore a black wrist band signifying Melanoma awareness.

In a similar way that breast cancer awareness had to overcome ignorance to be noticed, I can foresee Melanoma awareness undergoing the same issues.  So in an effort to coat-tail off the success of the fashionable pink color, I am launching an awareness campaign (as a promise to my brother) making Black the new Pink!  My hope is that people will become more aware of the dangers of skin cancer before scheduling a tanning appointment or venturing outdoors.  Awareness is the first step to eradicating this awful disease.

I hope to add to this blog on a regular basis, sharing Melanoma related links, hints and local events in the Raleigh, NC area and perhaps nationwide.  And in May, which is Melanoma Awareness Month, I hope to share a daily factoid to help others become more aware.

Wear your black, because Black is the New Pink!