Komen By The Numbers

Title: Komen By The Numbers

Author:  Anna Rachnel

Publication:  The Cancer Culture Chronicles

Publication Date: January 24, 2011

“Living with metastatic breast cancer is a bit like playing an evil game of Whack-A-Mole. Chemotherapy, at this point, is more art than science.  Tumors come up and tumors go down and you never quite know where they’re going to strike next.  You just keep whacking those pesky tumors and if new ones come up, you whack ’em again, and again, and again.  You just hope that you have enough chemotherapy hammers in your arsenal to be able to keep whackin’ ’em before you lose the game.

In recent months, I’ve been following with interest the debate in the blogosphere, over the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® (“Komen”) lawsuits with respect to apparent trademark violations over other charities using the phrase “for the Cure”. Komen argues that trademarking the phrase, and protecting that trademark through legal strategies, is a form of stewardship of donor funds.  Many others see it differently. Indeed, the debate itself is also starting to feel like a game of Whack-A-Mole because as one question comes up, it’s debated by some and whacked by others as Komen offers a superficial response.  In turn, the organization’s official statements cause more questions to come up.  Whack! And so the game goes on.”

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