Public and private funding of research into new treatments and cures was disproportionately low based on the number of sufferers. That disproportion was sexist in nature. Many people worked very hard to change that. Here was a woman on the barricades, offering herself as a symbol. But the symbol transcended medical issues.
Breasts are always an exemplar of beauty, even if fashions in size and shape change.
In the society of commodification, no body part has been more relentlessly exploited for commercial gain. Breasts are also the organ of nurturing, whether in sexual play or in motherhood. Breast cancer takes part of its fearful power from this nexus of pain and sensuality. I cannot pretend to understand the psychological impact of all this. Words do not convey that much.