“We aim to reconnect breast cancer with the real world, showing that it is not just possible, but necessary to resist dominant discourses. Combining writing and visual art, these stories speak a different language, a language of reality and freedom, a language that is, itself, a subversive act.”
— Grazia de Michele and Cinzia Greco
This special issue of the BCC Quarterly is dedicated to sharing alternatives to the “grand narrative” that circulates during breast cancer awareness month and, practically speaking, all year long.
The compendium – “Demystifying Breast Cancer” – edited by Grazia de Michele and Cinzia Greco, is an international collection of original and compelling essays intended to bust myths, resist stereotypes, and unveil how social dynamics impact the experience of breast cancer. The stories reflect the lived experiences of women diagnosed with breast cancer in different parts of the world, from the United States to Belgium, Israel, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, belonging to different social classes and ethnic backgrounds, and with different sexual orientations.
We release this special issue on October 13th to honor Metastatic (stage 4) Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Stage 4 breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread to elsewhere in the body, usually the bones, liver, lungs, or brain) is a progressive disease that is currently incurable and for which treatment is lifelong. Anyone can be diagnosed with “mets,” regardless of the stage of an initial diagnosis or the number of years after original treatments ended. It is stage 4 breast cancer that is life-threatening and responsible for the steady number of breast cancer deaths every year. Unfortunately, most awareness messaging is about “beating breast cancer” and “winning the war.” For many, it is unsettling to complicate this view. What results is a lack of attention, understanding, research, and resources for metastatic breast cancer.
“Demystifying Breast Cancer” is meant to challenge dominant discourses on breast cancer, giving the floor instead to dissonant experiences that rarely make their way to public outlets. Together, they offer an unprecedented glimpse into some of the most overlooked aspects of breast cancer’s multifaceted reality.
- INTRODUCTION by Grazia de Michele and Cinzia Greco
- OVERPASS GIRL: “The Power of Anonymity” by Gayle Sulik
- NATASHA: “Maybe In Another Life” by Nina Redl
- CHE: “Managing Cancer and Self-Employment” by Ana Porroche Escudero
- ISABELLA: “The Side Effects of Survivorship” by Natasia Hamarat
- TUTU TEDDER: “Punk Cancer Not Pink Cancer” by Stephanie Theobald
- CANCER SUCKS: “The Legacy of Tutu Tedder” by Ashley Savage
- STAGE IV AWARENESS: “There Is a Way” by Theresa Palomares
- RESISTING BREAST CANCER CULTURE by Sarah Sutro and Judith Cohen
- STARTING A MOVEMENT: “The Red Stroller” by Belinda Silvestro
“Demystifying Breast Cancer” is formatted as a PDF for you to print easily and share. Click here to download.
Contact the special issue editors at demystifyingcancer@gmail.com.
