What Breast Cancer Awareness Month Ignores

 

On an October day in 2018, I sat anxiously holding my late wife’s hand to comfort and calm her as she waited for a brain scan. Her doctor suspected her triple-negative breast cancer had spread to her brain (it had).

Earlier I had seen a promotion for a breast cancer awareness walk that looked more like an ad for an Oktoberfest party than an event to raise awareness about a truly horrific disease. It was both angering and heartbreaking to see. At the time, I wanted to write and draw something to express my feelings, but caregiving took priority.

More than a year after my wife’s horrible death in 2021 I wrote this story for CURE, a resource for patients with cancer, survivors and their caregivers. I was surprised CURE published the cartoon and my diss of pinkwashing month events. But I was even more surprised at the hundreds of passionate responses, in messages and as comments on CURE’s social media, who agreed with what I was saying.

Here’s the link to the story: 
https://www.curetoday.com/view/thoughts-on-breast-cancer-awareness-month-the-disease-is-no-stroll-through-the-park-

Talking About Hereditary Cancer

When my late wife was diagnosed with hereditary cancer, I often found myself trying to explain her cancer and genetic mutations to friends and acquaintances. But hereditary cancer and inherited genetic variants are really complicated subjects. In addition, I soon learned that many people have limited knowledge of basic genomic science. Knowing many people might not understand much about genetics often left me unsure on how to start the conversation. To be honest, it took me a while to figure it out.

So, as National Hereditary Cancer Week draws to a close, I’d like to offer what I eventually came up with. Here are four simple sentences that can be used as the script to start the conversation with those unfamiliar with hereditary cancer and genetics. 

Tens of thousands of cancer cases could be prevented every year. Thousands of deaths could be averted every year. And millions and millions of dollars in treatment costs could be avoided. But the conversation about hereditary cancer risk and the importance of knowing family health history needs to improve drastically if we hope to accomplish any of that.

Let’s change the way we talk about hereditary cancer.
 

Mendel G. Cat's DNA Book is Now Available

 

Now available at most online bookstores in paperback and hardbound editions!

The book is a fun little introduction to genomic science for readers six and up featuring Mendel G. Cat. (A lot of adults might benefit from reading it too.)

Every $1 I make off the book (which, literally is about the royalty per copy) will go to fund my hereditary cancer advocacy work and to help me to provide free copies of the book to classrooms, school libraries, and nonprofits.

Go to www.MendelCat.com

Paperback ISBN 979-8-218-77999-3 
Hardbound: ISBN 979-8-218-79986-1
(Probably will not be available in local bookstores for a while, unfortunately. But they can order it for you.)

Previvor Day Poster

 

 Previvor Day is still a couple weeks away, but I want to release this now to help raise awareness and understanding of previvorship ahead of the day. As a parent of a previvor, I celebrate Previvor Day as well as all the science that is giving my child a chance at full life cancer-free. 

This poster can be downloaded at: https://genetionary.org/poster/index.html 

First Contact Revisited

 

This cartoon seems more relevant than ever, so I thought I'd repost it.

Yay Yay DNA!

“Explain it to me like I’m six.” 

That’s a quote from an adult. And it was the inspiration for this book.

In 2018 I became a hereditary cancer advocate my child and late wife both tested positive for the same inherited pathogenic genetic mutation. As a hereditary cancer advocate, I have found that, sadly, many adults lack a basic understanding of basic genomic science. So I created something to introduce little ones to the subject so that hopefully when they grow up, they won’t be totally clueless.

Join Mendel G. Cat and learn more about the tiny thin thread that connects all life. Coming soon.

Download a Copy of The Peas and Q's of Hereditary Cancer

While providing nearly 1K free copies to nonprofits, genetic counselors, and others, I got numerous requests to also create an online edition of this book. Okay. Here it is: www.genetionary.org/book

I will continue to provide boxes of professionally published copies to nonprofits, certified genetic counselors, and etc. as much as possible.