Cancer Ribbon Colors - Who Creates Them?
Who Decides On The Cancer Ribbon Colors
Cancer awareness ribbons are symbols meant to show support or raise consciousness for a cause… learn how it started…
Cancer ribbons are simple loops of ribbon that people wear to show their support for people who have cancer or to spread awareness about the disease. Many people, cancer patients in particular, are wondering who decides on the colors of cancer awareness ribbons. There’s a common misconception that the well-known American Cancer Society assumes this responsibility, but this is not the case. It’s the non-profit organizations, such as The Lung Cancer Alliance and the National Cervical Cancer Coalition. These organizations provide support, education, and awareness of individual cancers, and typically, they will assign or acknowledge a color for specific cancer.
Cancer Ribbons- History
Cancer ribbon colors story began in the 1980s when a small organization named Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation created the first ribbon, in a successful attempt to raise awareness for breast cancer. The first ribbon was pink, intended as a means to bring breast cancer out of the closet and into the light where it could get some much-needed attention and funding. As Susan G. Komen organization grew, others joined. Other kinds of cancer claimed colors: teal for ovarian cancer, white and burgundy for head and neck cancer, light blue for prostate cancer, and many others were introduced by various non-profit organizations.
In the 1990s, The Childhood Cancer Organization decided on gold to be childhood cancer symbolic color. Organizations such as Thyca.org and the Colon Cancer Alliance followed, working to help patients suffering from thyroid cancer or colon cancer.
Today, there are almost 30 different cancer awareness ribbon colors.
Can One Cancer Have Two Ribbon Colors?
Sometimes it happens that two different organizations support the same cancer but recognize different ribbon colors. Bladder Cancer is a good example of that. The American Bladder Cancer Society uses marigold, blue and purple ribbon, while the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network uses orange to raise awareness for these types of cancer. Both of those versions are recognized and correct.
There are ribbon colors out there that have no ties to any national or non-profit organization. For example, the color for appendix cancer has always been amber, but the origin of that is unknown.
What Are Your Colors?
There are some rarer cancers that don’t have an organization or a color assigned to them. In those cases, many cancer patients will simply use lavender which is the official color for all cancers. Some people like to use the multicolored ribbon, especially if they have multiple cancers within their family.
In the end, it isn’t all about the color, but about bringing awareness to your cancer. Talk to people, share your initial symptoms, tell your story, encourage preventive care if it’s an option. Which is your cancer color? You can find that out here.