by Chris Bodenner

Marcy Wheeler shares her firsthand perspective:

[A]s a breast cancer survivor, I learned to hate the pink ribbons purportedly serving my interests. It may have been when Eureka developed an ad campaign around the pink ribbon. I was less than thrilled that Eureka tried to use my cancer as a reason to sell women more vacuum cleaners along with their stale gender stereotypes. But I think the moment when I most realized that the cancer industry was about turning breast cancer patients into profit centers came when I went to a Komen-funded Young Survival Coalition conference. The organization itself–focused on breast cancer resources for those diagnosed under the age of 40–was a godsend. But the conference insisted on calling us patients and survivors "customers."

More on the money-making here. The Dish also posted a similar takedown of Livestrong bracelets recently. A reader offers a qualified defense of Komen: