HARD Pressed
That Kylie Minogue has so publicly revealed she has breast cancer will serve to renew debate about the extent of cancer-related illness. But society, and men in particular, should be less reserved when discussing such a significant threat to life. For years, the press and admirers alike have often talked about Kylie Minogue’s breasts. But the news that the antipodean pop-diva has been diagnosed with breast cancer will see a radical shift in the nature of such attention.
From celebrities to fans, heartfelt support for Minogue was instant and unequivocal. This we could have easily anticipated. What we can’t is the way in which her illness will affect the way we, society, engage ourself in debate over such an emotive issue. It’s difficult to talk about cancer because of the effect it has on individuals, and their relatives. Cancer is the cause of a quarter of all deaths, with mortality rates marginally higher in men than in women.
Lung cancer is the biggest killer, accounting for 22 per cent of all cancer-related deaths. Bowel cancer is the next most prevalent form, with breast cancer and prostate cancer not far behind. Interestingly, around a third of all cancer- related deaths could be avoided if it weren’t for cigarettes.
Society is bad at dealing with these cold truths: talking about cancer remains taboo, or perhaps just painful, and cancer research projects deserve better funding, which they would get if the pessimistic streak in us didn’t believe that a cure for cancer is unrealistic. Our perceptions of cancer don’t help. It is precisely because of the attention that breast cancer gets which makes it seem like the most prevalent form of cancer.
And this most unfortunately compounds a problem inherent in our society: men are alarmingly unaware of the risk to their own lives that cancer poses, with prostate cancer, the most common cancer amongst males, a good example. The statistics tell an interesting story: breast cancer sufferers have a higher chance of surviving their illness than most other forms of cancer and women are statistically less likely to die from cancer, with eight per cent more men dying each year from cancer than women.
But it’s no bad thing that women, or some at least, are comfortable talking about breast cancer. After all, it has the effect of keeping the issue in the public consciousness. Yet at the same time it highlights the void of male sufferers willing to talk about their experience of the disease. We’re in this together; women are no more at risk than men. Society needs to talk about cancer more. Men need to talk about cancer more.
And until we address our demons, we will continue to hinder our chances of ever beating such a seemingly interminable foe.
19th May 2005