May 1, 2009
TWITTERING A PATH TO DISCOVERY AND PREVENTION
 On May 4, 1804, Lewis and Clark set out across the continent, a small band of men on a mission, the Corps of Discovery. Three years later they arrived back to "civilization" in St. Louis with stories and news. The celebrations of their successes and discoveries lasted for months and have since become legends for all time.
The Corps of Discovery used the tools at their disposal to forge a path across America. As I see it, Twitter is new tool for a new age of discovery. Twitter’s potential is not to be found in reports from celebrities about their latest latte but in the potential to organize otherwise separate individuals, using a cyber platform where concise and useful information serves to mobilize a self-appointed corps. Although it can be used as a toy for the bored and the inane, Twitter has the potential to create what I call a "t-wave" – a group composed of those who are interested in moving in a certain direction, possibly following a leader they respect and trust.
Faced with the daunting challenge of competing with the likes of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and the American Cancer Society my newly created Breast Health & Healing Foundation must find a way to get onto the field and into the game. But how? The world does not need another "race" or "dance" or "walk" – we have them in abundance. What the world needs is a fresh approach to the problem of breast cancer. The world needs to move in the direction of PREVENTION and DISCOVERY OF THE CAUSES OF BREAST CANCER. Cure is not enough: even if we could cure everyone, we would still face another 1.5 million new cases of breast cancer around the world this year. We must discover the causes of breast cancer and put a stop to it before it gets another million-plus women by the throat. The PURE CURE is prevention. So, what’s a new breast cancer foundation to do?
Use Twitter. I intend to use Twitter to create a t-wave of women, and the men who love them - those who want to move in the direction of finding the underlying causes of breast cancer. I intend to use Twitter to create a t-wave of those who want the world, and our healthcare leaders, to share the information about what we can do now to understands its causes and prevent as much breast cancer as possible. To wit:
- Avoid exogenous hormones (in the form of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy.)
- Avoid the regular use of alcohol
- Avoid cigarette smoking
- Increase physical activity to at least 30 minutes four times per week
- Reduce caloric intake and maintain ideal body weight
These interventions ARE KNOWN TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BREAST CANCER. I intend to use Twitter to deliver theses messages clearly and frequently.
I also intend to use Twitter to create a t-wave of those who would like to see more funding for some of the other suspected causes of breast cancer, like the Pink Virus, the human mammary tumor virus (HMTV). The Breast Health and Healing Foundation is particularly interested in supporting research on the Pink Virus, and I hope that Twitter will help us with our work.
I imagine that when man first discovered fire there were those who sat and gazed into the flames, enchanted with the light and play of energy. And I imagine that after a while there were some who wondered what might be done with such a powerful force. And then a few lone souls decided to see for themselves what could be done. Some got burned I suppose. But some used the fire to make engines; engines that one day put man on the moon.
The goal of the Breast Health and Healing Foundation is to reduce the number of new cases of breast cancer by 50% within five years. I intend to use twitter to get there. And even if get burned once or twice along the way (Mark and Susan, you know who you are), it will be worth the trip to arrive at the goal, not alone but in the company of a Cyber Corps, a t-wave, of Discovery.
Regards,
Kathleen T. Ruddy, MD
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