General discussion
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Topic
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Anonymous email
LockedRecently I have had several people in a variety of geographical areas send me an email about a variant of breast cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer or IBC.
IBC is the rarest form of breast cancer, accounting for 1%-3% of all breast cancers. The email was started by someone who caught a piece reported by Seattle’s KOMO television.
The concern that I have is that the email really ought to be sent along with it’s snopes link (http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/ibc.asp) in order to help validate it. In an email I received this morning the tone was more from the standpoint that this diagnosis has been hidden from the public. I contend that this is not the case. I have been extremely aware of IBC for 3 years although I had a peripheral awareness of it earlier.
While awareness is a good thing, hysteria is not. If you receive this email- probably from someone who cares- please be aware of the following points. IBC is real, though rare, and no one has been hiding anything.
Anyone who knows me understands that this is a passion for me. I am very dedicated to seeing a cure in my lifetime. But I know that anger and hysteria only slow things down. And sending a message to everyone in your email book isn’t always the best way to get the word out.
If you are interested in learning more about IBC and it’s characteristics, please follow the links below.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Wear a pink ribbon for all the women in your life.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060926/ENT01/609260404/1033
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/health/view/232544/1/.html
http://cbs3.com/seenon/local_story_268213031.html
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=health&id=4578209
Edited to add the following:
Forwarding email to everyone you know, regardless of the validity of the information, has the effect of trivialising the information. If you MUST forward an email, please take that into consideration.