The Power of Suggestion in Breast Cancer Prevention

Advertising is a great marketing tool for many companies, and we encounter them just about everywhere in our daily lives. Some use powerful and memorable taglines, while others don't. Either way, they are impactful, especially when they relate to health issues like cancer.

I'm not a big fan of television; in fact, I often feel it's a waste of time. When cable subscription prices soared, we decided to cut that expense years ago. When you’re on a fixed income, you must let some things go. Although we no longer have cable, we do subscribe to a few streaming services. We need some form of entertainment, especially when the weather's nasty and we can't get outside. We don't spend a lot of time watching, though; we prefer to read or work on our hobbies. But when we do choose to watch something, we watch late in the day as a way of unwinding before bed.

Last night, as we were watching a new outdoor adventure series, an ad popped up in the middle of the show. Normally, we don't pay attention to those. To get the benefit of a lower-cost streaming service, ads are part of the deal. When they come on, we mute them until our show returns. Sometimes, if we step away from the set, we'll miss being able to mute an ad and can hear it from another room. We've found commercials to be annoying because of the volume. I think advertisers must pay to have their ads sound elevated to draw viewers in, but I digress.

This ad wasn't annoying. In fact, as it played, I noticed beautiful piano music, and that's why I returned to see what was on the screen. As I watched, I saw a woman sitting in front of a piano. The camera focused on her hands as they worked across the keyboard. The next scene showed her gardening, and again, the hands were the focus. The commercial was brief but included various quick scenes that focused on hands: touching a child's face, washing dishes, peeling fruit, sliding along a soapy torso as the woman showered, holding her face in obvious distress, and lying alongside her body as she endured a sleepless night. Then the commercial showed the woman in a doctor's office. We see her unhook her bra, and a doctor standing in front of her. No words were spoken during the entire 60-second commercial, but any woman watching would have understood what was going on.

As the commercial wound to a close, the tagline scrolled across the screen: "The most powerful way to fight cancer is in your hands." Then, the Eli Lilly logo appeared. I knew Eli Lilly was a pharmaceutical company but wondered how many others would be aware of that fact.

My husband noticed how still I sat after viewing the commercial. He even paused our show to ask if I was okay. I assured him I was, but he could tell I was introspective. Seeing anything related to breast cancer is difficult, especially since I've “been there and done that.”

I wondered why a large pharmaceutical company would promote a campaign that encouraged early detection of breast cancer. My understanding of large drug companies was that they were in it for the money. The more drugs they sold, the fatter their pockets became, right? It seemed counterproductive to me.

Then, I wondered if perhaps they were a company genuinely concerned about women's health. Maybe, with ads like this one, they'd help make women aware of the need for early detection, even at the risk of emptying their own pockets a little. It would be great if that had been the motive behind the commercial; I just wasn't sure.

Eli Lilly produces a cancer-fighting drug called Verzenio. It's used in cases of high-risk cancers. I have several friends who've been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, and they've been on this medication with some good success.

After doing a little research, I found the commercial first aired during the 67th Grammy Awards show. I used to watch the Grammys when we had cable but haven't seen it in a good while. It seems, after some internet digging, that over 5 million viewers watched the Grammys. Of those, I imagine the majority were women.

In thinking about the ad, I had to applaud Eli Lilly for taking such a huge risk. Their nonverbal ad had conveyed so much. Their slogan, or tagline, “The most powerful way to fight cancer is in your hands,” spoke volumes, even if not completely true.

Yes, women can use their hands to examine their breasts and hopefully pay attention to breast abnormalities or changes, but many times, they don't think a small lump or discharge is anything to worry about. In cases like these, they fail to report their findings to a doctor, which can lead to months or years passing without proper healthcare.

I think the tagline would have been more appropriately stated if it had said, “One of the most powerful ways to fight cancer is in your hands.” There are so many other ways men and women can combat breast cancer. Some of those include a healthy diet, daily exercise, reduction of stress, and quality rest. And while there are many factors we can control to a degree, there are also those we can't control, like hereditary traits, exposure to harmful chemicals, etc.

Hands are an important part of our bodies, and they are used in so many ways each day. It's a good thing to use them to become familiar with our bodies, and I'm thankful this big pharma organization has put forth the effort to remind women to use their hands wisely.

As a breast cancer survivor, I never chose to take chemotherapy drugs. I felt they would do more harm to my body than good. That was a very personal choice I thought long and hard about. Those who do choose to use chemicals to fight their cancer are doing what they feel is best in their own lives, and we can't judge them for their choices. I believe many women will do whatever necessary to live as long as possible, and when the Big C enters their lives, their perspective on things often changes.

One day, hopefully, we won't need chemotherapy drugs anymore, and commercials like the sensitive one the Lilly company put out will no longer be necessary. Until then, I hope other companies will follow suit and be as tenderhearted in their ads. Sometimes words are necessary, and sometimes, they're not.

This piece reflects the author’s personal experience and perspective as a breast cancer survivor. For medical advice, please consult your health care provider.

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