Emilee Blythe
Special to In Motion
The popularity of breast cancer awareness has spread incredibly in the past two decades and continues. The media, advertising and families affected by it have crowded this wide pink road, making the uneducated believe there is one generic pink ribbon representing cancer. And while breast cancer awareness is rightfully popularized and projected, it’s a bit of a one-sided injustice when it comes to the heart-wrenching disease of cancer in general.
In fact, there are many “awareness” ribbons people are completely unaware of, with multiple colors representing multiple cancers. A lavender colored ribbon signifies all types of cancers, but there is no lavender month, or any NFL players with lavender shin-high socks. When asked, most people cannot name three different types of cancers with the matching colored ribbon. The information is not scarce, but awareness is.
Dawn Walker, a resident of Prospect Park, Penn. and a proud supporter of cancer awareness motorcycle runs, says that the knowledge of cancer ribbons is “limited to the ones that you hear of the most through commercials or if someone famous had or gets that type of cancer.
“Which is not right I know,” she adds, “but it’s true.”
The media has a way of unfairly jumping on the bandwagon of certain publicity campaigns.
“You don’t hear about ovarian cancer much and that kills so many women,” says Walker.
Erin Denny, a strong-willed survivor of melanoma skin cancer, says that, “I would have to make charts and make people more aware of what color ribbons are available that represent which cancers. People just do not know and seem to lump everything under breast cancer pink.”
A certified nurse, Denny finds that even patients don’t know what color the ribbons stand for. “I usually ask people what color ribbon supports that type of cancer? And most of the time, they do not even know, sadly.”
The pink breast cancer ribbon has been around since the fall of 1991, when the Susan G. Komen Foundation handed out pink ribbons to the breast cancer survivors. This pink revolution has sparked endless attention from the media and the people, although the American Cancer Society estimates that breast cancer kills far fewer people than other forms of cancer, such as lung and pancreatic. One in eight people, of about 12 percent of the population have the chance of contracting breast cancer. Of those, one out of 35, statistically, will die.
Awareness of other form of the deathly disease should be shared with Americans through all of the colors of the rainbow. With that growing knowledge, the hope is these cancers will receive the attention and scientific research they justly deserve.
A good example of that is the death this summer of former Daytona State College student Daniel Fernadez, who died of testicular cancer at age 23 on April 10.
A graduate of Spruce Creek High School, Fernandez’s fierce battle with cancer earned him the nickname “Iron” Dan. In an article printed on April 22 by the Ormond Beach Observer, Fernandez showed no symptoms until two weeks before his diagnosis. As with all cancers, early diagnosis and treatment offers much hope for survival. Fernandez had noticed that his right testicle never fully dropped, but he never mentioned it or brought it to his doctor’s attention. Two weeks before his death he and his close-knit family participated in a 5K race for testicular cancer awareness.
As noted by the newspaper and at his memorial service, his family hopes to use Daniel’s story to bring awareness to testicular cancer, which commonly affects men ages 17-30 and over 60. At his memorial service, attendees were all given orchid ribbons, signifying testicular cancer, to wear. If even one life can be saved through those efforts, it will go a long way toward easing the pain of losing such a vital young man at such an untimely age.
Below is the list of some of the various ribbons and cancers they represent:
Black, Melanoma (Skin Cancer); Pink, Breast Cancer; Teal, Ovarian Cancer; Clear, Lung Cancer; Purple, Pancreatic and Leiomyosarcoma; Orchid, Testicular; Orange, Leukemia; Emerald-Green, Liver Cancer; Periwinkle, Esophageal and Stomach Cancer; Dark Blue, Colon Cancer; Burgundy, Multiple Myeloma; Grey, Brain Cancer; Blue, Prostate Cancer; Teal/White, Cervical Cancer; Yellow, Sarcoma/Bone/Bladder Cancer; Gold, Childhood Cancers; Burgundy/Ivory, Head and Neck Cancer; Lime Lymphoma, Peach Uterine Cancer; Kelly Green, Kidney Cancer; and Teal/Pink/Blue for Thyroid Cancer