Not another cancer story

[Wookie]

This is an article that I found on Harry's site:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5200345-110592,00.html

It discusses the disportionate amount of attention given to Breast Cancer over other cancers.

I liked the overall theme of the article but there was one part that I felt was just more misandrist rubbish:

In common with much of the news coverage of infertility, there seems to be a background hum of misogyny in all this. The message is: "You think you're in control of your lives, you women; you think you can find your own balance between work and family, navigate your own sex lives, make decisions as a man would, but in fact your bodies are murky, dangerous places that will find a way to punish you should you stray from the path of true femininity." Maybe that sounds a little paranoid, but frankly it has never bothered me overmuch, since you can hear an anti-female hum in a lot of things if you listen closely enough, and as a gender we're big enough to ignore it.

This did make me angry and took a article I really did like and ruin it!

So I wrote her an email, let me know what you think:

Dear Zoe

I am writing in response to your article in the Guardian on Tuesday May 24, 2005 titled "Not another cancer story". I would firstly like to say that in the main I found it a very good article that brings to the attention of the disproportionate amount of time and money that is spent on Breast cancer at the expense of other types of cancer. I think that this is a brave issue to bring up and an issue that definitely needs more media coverage.

I however felt the need to bring up a concern that I had with the article, which is your attitude to men and the reason for this disproportionate attention to this specific type of cancer. You state in you article:

"In common with much of the news coverage of infertility, there seems to be a background hum of misogyny in all this. The message is: "You think you're in control of your lives, you women; you think you can find your own balance between work and family, navigate your own sex lives, make decisions as a man would, but in fact your bodies are murky, dangerous places that will find a way to punish you should you stray from the path of true femininity." Maybe that sounds a little paranoid, but frankly it has never bothered me overmuch, since you can hear an anti-female hum in a lot of things if you listen closely enough, and as a gender we're big enough to ignore it."

You make the conclusion that it is misogyny that drives this extra attention, I find this hard to believe or accept. The term misogyny means Women Hater! Why would those that hate women give a disease that effects almost entirely women extra funds and attention? Why would so much copy in both the female written and TV media spend so much time discussing the issue? Are they misogynists also?

I feel that this exposes a personal negative attitude you personally and many others in the media have towards men in our society!

Could the real reason that so much focus is put on this issue be that we are currently living in a female focused society and those men that write about breast cancer or schedule a section of a TV program to discuss the issue, are not women hating patriarchs but misguided chivalrous women lovers, who still have this inbuilt condition to protect women and children and the expense of their own health?

The media has gone a long way over the last few years to demonise men as oppressive abusers of both women and children and for you to add on top of this the accusation that men prioritise breast cancer in order to keep women in fear, just adds to the slow erosion of the significance of men in our society.

Thank you for taking the time out to read this, in no way do I intend to cause you any offence, but rather offer an alternative view to the reasons that Breast Cancer gets more attention.

Kind regards

xxxxxxxxxxx.

Wookie

[Sir Jessy of Anti]

Nicely written Wookie.

[TestSubject]

She's definitely making excuses for her biology.  A woman's body's on a clock and will respond accordingly to her bad decisions.  That's life, not misogyny.

Also, you bring up a very good point without even realizing it, I think.  She states that men have better health when there are women in their lives that nag them to take care of themselves.  Interesting.  I never had a problem taking myself to the doctor and I have recently had to con my mother into it.  They only time I've ever have a problem getting help is if I know I'm going to have to face a feminized field (mental health for instance).

She says women take better care of themselves.  You say men take care of women at the expense of their own health.  I think the latter is more accurate myself.

This is simply another example of a thankless-at-all-costs woman, in my mind, saying, "You have yet to pamper me enough, society!"

[devia]

I believe that breast cancer gets the attention it does because it is a quick and deadly form of cancer, which is very common, which is not solidly linked to lifestyle as others like lung are. Also women are just good at networking for causes.

My daughters cancer is more often found in women but it isn't quick and deadly or common hence no media exposure. Ditto for cervical cancer, that gets about as much exposure as prostate. Both very common but not lethal if caught in a decent amount of time.

That being said the writer is off her rocker.

[Sir Percy]

Prithee Sir. An excellent missive with many fine points. may I suggest one that may have been overlooked.

The Lady Zoe writes (hence she must be a Lady of some delicacy) a full paragraph about what a woman says to herself. She not unreasonably calls this self talk mysogyny. I think she may be pointing a finger - the liitle pinky at that ran all the way home - at womenfolk themselves and not just men. Women haters indeed.

In my journeying I have often chanced to observe womenfolk hating other womenfolk and especially maids. It is to my eye and ear the most common form of hatred expressed. I have also sat and overheared necromancers and phychomancers and even the occasional oddly educated inebriate talk of a spirit called 'Projection' which oft it seems takes one's own attitudes from inside one's head and heart and fixes them within another. Quite how these magical sprites do it I cannot fathom for I am but an old warrior and not a monk. I observe womenfolk however doing this all the time with menfolk, attributing thoughts and feelings to a male serf who was doing nothing more than chew on a leaf!

When the Lady Zoe talks of mysogyny, perhaps she is without an accompanying sprite.

[Wookie]

I have always seen the reason that breast cancer being so prevelant in the media down to very good advoctacy, and many groups could learn from the BC advocates.

They have done their job and well done!

Sadly politicans and the media have become almost too focused on this issue to the detriment of other cancers, that both effect men and women.

What I will say Devia is that in the UK, we have breast cancer screening and also cervical cancer screening avalible to all women but no such scheme involving prostate cancer, so although cervical cancer does not get as much media attention as breast cancer (what issue could?) the policy makers are aware of it and put in place systems to ensure as many women as possible come in for screening.

I have to say it's not all the media or governments fault, as bloke we do not take care of ourselves and I feel that we put our families health as a priority above our own, I know my old man has always done this.

The problem is, especially in a country like the UK with a national health service, the government don't really want to encourage men to use the health service to the same levels as women, this is not because of misandry, just the fact that they know we could not afford it if we did!

Wookie

[devia]

No prostate cancer routine screening? That surprises me and saddens me. Would you have to ask for the examine or would your doctor suggest it?

Here we have breast cancer screening that gets a lot of attention, Buddies for life programs that get women to remind each other for their monthly breast exams etc. Cervical cancer screens are just done as a matter of fact with your yearly doctor's visit. Prostate cancer has hit the airwaves recently with ads focusing on getting over the embarrassment and just being screened; I say at this point the ads are about a 1/3 of the time that's devoted to breast cancer awareness.

By saying no routine screening to do you mean that doctors are not advising men to have prostate screening with their yearly checkups?

I agree with you that men should learn from the breast cancer awareness people instead of loathing them. There was a time before all the media attention that women ignored the possibility that it could happen to them because of the fear of losing their breasts.

I have a relative who has prostate cancer, at a fairly young age (66). Having researched it to some point because of my loved one,  one "lucky"  thing about prostate cancer is although a large majority of men will at some point get it, it often presents itself so late in life that they die of something else before the cancer could kill them. As part of his treatment he's had to endure chemical castration which has lead to (besides the obvious) pretty severe menopausal symptoms. I can imagine if I was a guy I'd be avoiding not only the finger up the butt, but the thoughts of castration would be enough for me to ignore the whole thing a lot more then losing a breast would.

[Conspiracy Theory]

This is about socialism and a cash cow industry,  not about cancer.  

The reason men don't get such attention has more to do with that fact.  Men just don't buy into socialist concepts and literally refuse to go to the doctors,  just like they refuse to report violence against them.

People in the medical profesion know this and target market accordingly.  It's business as usual that's all.

[antimisandry]

personally i do feel that men aren't so quick to jump into the doctors office.. but yes, they will and do go.
i recall many occasions when i've been ill and felt that the doctor just isn't interested for 'some unknown' reason.
recently i had an operation on my groin... however, prior to my operation i went repeatedly to my doctor complaining of the pains i'd been getting. time after time the doctors ( i saw a few different drs regarding the same issue - but my paperwork was accessible by all of them ) woud simply dismiss my pains and concerns by throwing more antibiotics at me. i insisted that it was a surgical issue not a boiloigical issue but they would not listen. eventually i took my girlfriend in with me and she explained how i'd have to curl into a ball, ease the pain with frozen goods, couldn't stand straight, etc. etc.
i kid you not, good folks, only - and only - after speaking with my then girlfriend did the doctor send me to a specialist (who finally agreed i needed an operation to fix the pain i was).

That, and other stories i could tell (but won't bore you with) tell me that drs DO give more attention to female patients that male patients.
to this day, i still can't believe i had to get my g/f to convince a dr of the level of pain i was enduring.

the general events ran like so:

helped a friend move some furniture - felt a pop inside my lower abdonmen.
discussed with dr (potential hernia). dr said it will go away.
it didn't.
a week later, during a bath - my left testicle has an indescribable pain shoot through it, and it becomes 'unhinged' (to word it as best i can).
i return to dr explaining new situation. dr gives me antibiotics.
i take them, they do nothing for pain. i have problems at work as the pain is causing me to sweat uncontrollably - to aleviate pain, i sit a while then stand a while (as well as pain pills obviously).
taking my daughter's to see their grandparents, i have one daughter in each hand. the youngest falls so i lift her up (still holding other daughter's hand) and carry her to roadside/safety.
i go to walk and pain shoots my testicle, into my abdonmen and pulls me down curled up on roadside screaming in pain.
a friend gives me a lift home as i cannot walk. i call hospital and explain, having had many pain pills the hospital don't feel i need to attend. i rest endlessly. dr gives me a sick note for work for 2 weeks...  2weeks turn into 6 weeks. pain has eased considerably but still having major issues with walking.
return to work and am given light duties on drs recommendation.
pains come and go - girlfriend witness to majority of them.
i return to drs regularly over the course of 18 (yes eighteen) months, constantly having my testicles molested and checked, each trip to drs office met by a new dose of stronger anti-biotics.
after a full two years (yes, twentyfour months) of inning and outting the drs office, i grow extrememly tired of the pains and beg my g/f to attend with me to my next drs visit. she agrees.
i talk to dr in front of her, dr has a very bored look. g/f begins talking and how it's affecting our sex life etc. etc.
as she finished talking, dr says "i'll book you in to see a specialist".
specialist looks, gives me an ultrasound, books an appointment for me at hospital.
finally the operation comes about and i get my lefty stapled into place against my scrotum so it can't twist out of shape again.
operation gives me MRSA (aka NHS superbug) infection. infection turns into large absys and another operation. once again, my walking is severly impaired for some three months further due to this operation & infection & 2nd operation.

[PowerMan72]

:x

SUE!!!

[Matt99]

ouch, sounds tough. hope you are faring OK now.

i went to the doctor a few months ago for quite embarrasing, yet perfectly acceptable reasons (which id rather not go into here). im sure that the doctor i saw withheld treatment because she was female, i was male and she had no idea of the problematic nature of my symptoms. in fact, im sure she took some pleasure in it.

[Wookie]

By saying no routine screening to do you mean that doctors are not advising men to have prostate screening with their yearly checkups?

I belive that doctors will advice a screening if you have the symtoms of prostate cancer, but unlike breast and Cervical  cancer men don't get that letter in the post saying that they are due for a screening just in case.

As we don't have a private system as in the US, I don't think that many men unless they have an ongoing condition go to doctors for regular check ups, it tends to be when they really need to go.

Wookie