'Breast cancer isn’t sexy': Woman shares post-radiation images to show reality of disease
The graphic pictures show Jenn Alter's chest after undergoing 35-days of radiation treatment
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Your support makes all the difference.A breast cancer survivor has posted candid pictures of her chest following radiotherapy treatment to show the reality of living with the disease.
Jenn Alter, from Saint Louis, Missouri, posted the images on her Tumblr blog, Pushing in the Pin, with the caption: “Here’s your f****** breast cancer awareness”.
The graphic pictures were taken after the 36-year-old underwent 35-days of radiation treatment in 2013, which left her with severe burns, red scars and broken skin.
The images also take a stand against various breast cancer campaigns, which Ms Alter belives are “sexualising” the illness.
Ms Alter hopes the images prove that “breast cancer isn’t sexy” after controversial campaigns like “No Bra Day" received backlash from critics for encouraging women to abandon their bras for a day to raise awareness for breast cancer.
The campaign #NoBraDay, which launched earlier this month and did not appear to be a registered charity, has proved controversial, with many condemning the campaign for “sexualising” and “objectifying” women.
She writes: “It’s not about saving the boobies. It’s not about no bra day, which is really just an excuse for women to post sexy pics of their nipples pressing through their clothes.”
“It’s scars, nausea, pain, bald heads, burnt skin, and broken hearts,” she adds. “Does it make you uncomfortable? It should.”
Since posting the images Ms Alter says she has received an overwhelming response, with many commenting the pictures have “changed the way they look at breast cancer and cancer awareness in general”.
“I'm glad you shared your experience,” said one commenter. “I've never seen that side of cancer before and it sounds horrible.
“I hope you continue to spread awareness because it needs to be heard from survivors like you.”
Women in the UK have, on average, a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, is a highly targeted treatment to destroy cancer cells in the breast that may remain in the body after surgery.
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