We’ve covered Facebook’s wonky content-removal system plenty of times. Here’s how the script usually reads: Someone posts a photo on Facebook that depicts breasts in a non-pornographic setting; Facebook yanks the photo; People protest; Facebook reinstates the photo, saying that it was removed in error.

Considering Facebook has billions upon billions of pieces of content to moderate at all times and that they outsource a lot of it, it’s inevitable that they’re going to make some mistakes. That’s not an excuse for Facebook’s content-removal screwups, mind you, just an explanation.

This latest episode in the series is a bit different, however. A public outcry, complete with a successful petition, not only forced Facebook to backtrack on the content-removal, but also forced them to clarify a specific policy geared toward a specific type of photo:

The post-mastectomy photo.

Here’s the story. It all begins with a Facebook page for The SCAR Project, an alternative breast cancer awareness initiative that “puts a raw, unflinching face on early onset breast cancer” with a series of large-scale portraits of young cancer survivors.

“Breast Cancer Is Not A Pink Ribbon,” they say.

The Facebook page, unsurprisingly, contains plenty of these portraits featuring nude women, post-mastectomy. A few weeks ago, Facebook began removing many of these photos, much to the chagrin of the project’s admins. They initiated an online petition on Change.org that has received over 21,000 signatures.

This prompted Facebook to clarify their position on mastectomy photos – Yes, they allow them. Here’s what Facebook has to say in a new Help Center post:

Yes. We agree that undergoing a mastectomy is a life-changing experience and that sharing photos can help raise awareness about breast cancer and support the men and women facing a diagnosis, undergoing treatment, or living with the scars of cancer. The vast majority of these kinds of photos are compliant with our policies.

However, photos with fully exposed breasts, particularly if they’re unaffected by surgery, do violate Facebook’s Terms. These policies are based on the same standards which apply to television and print media, and that govern sites with a significant number of young people.

Another statement from Facebook outlines what I said before – that Facebook sometimes screws up. Plain and simple.

“We have long allowed mastectomy photos to be shared on Facebook, as well as educational and scientific photos of the human body and photos of women breastfeeding,” Facebook said in a prepared statement. “We only review or remove photos after they have been reported to us by people who see the images in their News Feeds or otherwise discover them. On occasion, we may remove a photo showing mastectomy scarring either by mistake, as our teams review millions of pieces of content daily, or because a photo has violated our terms for other reasons.”

Facebook’s content moderation system is always going to be a headache. It’s the nature of the beast. But small movements like this show that if you bring it to their attention and drive enough support, they’ll most likely listen.

Perry says after his first date with Kellie Nash, he knew she was the one. She was a survivor, having already undergone a double mastectomy for breast cancer. They fell in love, and he got to spend a year with her before she found out the cancer had come back, and had moved to her brain.

“She continued chemo from May into December, when headaches started; cancer had gone to her brain. She started brain radiation and the chemo continued. One night she told me she just couldn’t do it any more, and would I be angry if she stopped everything? I told her that never would I ever be angry with her.”

Nash died in December, and Perry, who is notoriously private about his life, decided to write a post on Fanasylum.com about his struggle over the past five months.

“She was so strong, so courageous and we really loved each other so very much,” Steve wrote. “I’ve been trying to grieve and not run from this loss so for the last 5 months that’s what I’ve been doing along with recalling everything being in Love with Kellie taught me.”

He also revealed his own struggles with cancer and says the surgery went well.

“I’ve had two surgeries in two weeks to remove all the cancer cells and I’ve been told they think they got it all and no other treatments are required,” he wrote.

According to a statement from Kelly posted to the Buffalo Bills website, he was recently diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma. The cancer is isolated to his upper jaw bone, which he will have partially removed on June 7. Kelly stated that doctors believe his prognosis is “very good.” Kelly’s statement, in full:

“This past couple of weeks has been difficult for me and because of the nature of social media I thought it would be best to share with everyone what has been going on with my health. I was recently diagnosed with Squamous-cell carcinoma (cancer) of the upper jaw bone. I have undergone tests which have shown that the cancer is isolated to my upper jaw and has not spread to other parts of my body. Surgery is scheduled for June 7th and doctors have told me that the prognosis for my recovery is very good.

“With the excellent medical care that I will be receiving and the loving care of my wife Jill and my daughters Erin and Camryn and the support of my entire family and friends, I am extremely confident in my road to recovery. I plan to tackle this challenge head on, as we Kelly’s always do, with toughness, perseverance and faith.

“I want to thank everyone who has offered their prayers and would appreciate any prayers said for me and my family moving forward. May God continue to bless you and our family.”

Kelly is best-known as the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback during the late 80s and early 90s. He led the team to four consecutive AFC championships from 90 to 93, and was selected for the Pro Bowl four times. Kelly holds numerous NFL and Bills team records, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Doctors presented this life-saving vinegar-based cancer test at a conference today. They say that it’s cheap enough to help prevent thousands of cancer cases in developing nations. In this particular case, it helped prevent a third of all cervical cancer cases among women in India.

In developed nations like the U.S., doctors use pap smears to look for signs of cervical cancer. Those in poor nations can’t afford these tests so doctors looked to cheaper methods that got the job done. They found that swabbing the cervix with diluted vinegar caused infected cells to change color.

The best part about the above cancer test is that it doesn’t require any expensive tools or training. In fact, anybody can trained to perform the test in just two weeks. With such a cheap barrier of entry, doctors hope that this simple test can save lives.

The study found that this new cancer test could save up to 22,000 lives in India every year. They hope that the test will start being used in more underdeveloped countries and save up to 72,600 lives around the world each year.

India has liked what it sees in this study, and has already started to expand the program. There’s also another test that is looking to detect breast cancer at an earlier stage, but it’s too early in the study to find if it has had any effect. If both programs can prove successful, the medical community will be able to save more women’s lives around the world.

[h/t: AP]

Olivia was at her sister’s side when she passed, after announcing just last month that Rona had an aggressive form of cancer. The actress posted about her loss on Facebook, saying that sadly, Rona died on their mother’s birthday.

“My beautiful sister Rona sadly passed on May 24th in Los Angeles,” she wrote. “It was May 25th in Australia – which was our mother Irene’s birthday. Rona died of a very aggressive brain tumor and mercifully suffered no pain. She was surrounded by the love of her four children – Fiona, Brett,Tottie and Emerson and, her wonderful friends. I will miss her forever – my beautiful, smart, talented, funny, brave sister Rona.

In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate
donations to the ONJCWC where a brain tumor wellness program will be started in her name. Thank you all for your kind words of love and support.”

Olivia Newton-John suffered from breast cancer herself, but has been in good health in recent years. She recently postponed her Vegas residency to care for Rona.

“In light of this news, I have decided to postpone my forthcoming Las Vegas residency to spend time with her and our family,” Newton-John wrote in a statement. “As a cancer ‘thriver’ myself, as many people are, I am very aware of the importance of love, support and family during this journey she is about to begin.”

Image: Facebook

The hats were a reference to Clark’s mother, 51-year-old Jackie Underwood, who had just died after a four-year battle with breast cancer. The sisters were reportedly shopping for funeral dresses when they were kicked out of the mall.

Mall management released a statement to ABC 6, saying that the King of Prussia Mall is a “family destination” and that some words, even just suggested ones, “are considered profane and can offend many people.” One of Underwood’s daughters, Makia Underwood, pointed out that clothing with profanity – both explicit and implicit – can be bought within the mall. The mall has since apologized to Clark and her sisters, offering to donate money to a cancer charity.

The Daily Mail reports that Mirren, who is currently playing the queen in a stage show, met with Burton in full costume and makeup recently. She had tea with him and then knighted him as Sir Oliver Burton. He even got to play with her two corgis.

It’s unfortunate that Burton didn’t get to meet the real queen, but he reportedly didn’t know the difference. To him, Mirren was the real deal, and he was thrilled to meet her. Burton’s parents were even happier saying that Mirren “stayed in character for the whole thing. Oliver thought she was the real queen, and well, that’s good enough for us.”

Unfortunately, Burton may just have weeks or months to live as his latest bout with cancer has been deemed incurable by doctors. That being said, he has come through two previous bouts where doctors said he had hours to live. He may pull through yet again.

Even if the worst comes to pass, Burton’s parents are determined to fill what may be his final weeks with wonderful memories. It’s gonna be hard to top meeting the “queen,” but his parents have some ideas.

[Image: Angela George]

Sobiech battled the terminal cancer, osteosarcoma, from the age of 14. Last year, a song he penned about his illness called “Clouds” went viral on YouTube,

“With heavy hearts, we are saddened to share that Zach Sobiech passed away this morning. Zach was at home and at peace with those he loved most. Zach’s life ended just as he lived, embraced by the love of his family, friends, grace and music,” says The Children’s Cancer Research Fund.

“Cancer may have taken Zach too soon, but he leaves a lasting legacy that most of us will never achieve. His message of love and hope delivered through infectious lyrics and memorable tunes have imprinted on the minds and hearts of millions around the world. Zach became a beacon of light and benevolence in a world that sometimes weighs too heavily. In turn, he received a flood of well-wishes that helped him, and his loved ones, smile through tremendous pain and worry.”

Zach recorded two albums worth of music, which helped raised money for awareness and research for his rare disease. His fight attracted nationwide attention, including that of many celebrities.

If you want to donate to Zach’s cause, you can do so here.

Released in December, the video went viral, and tugged at the heartstrings of viewers around the world, and eventually led to a celebrity tribute video featuring Bryan Cranston, Anna Faris, Sarah Silverman, Ed Helms, Jenna Elfman, Jason Mraz and others.

Sobiech was diagnosed with osterosarcoma (a rare, cancerous bone tumor that develops in children) in November 2009. He went through several surgeries and months of chemotherapy. At the end of last May, cancer was found in his pelvis and lungs. “There are no effective treatments left,” the video says.

Zach’s mother Laura posted the following message to website CaringBridge.org today:

Zachary passed away this morning. He was surrounded by his sisters, brother, parents and girlfriend. We love him dearly.

A concert is scheduled for this coming Saturday to raise money for Sobiech’s fund, which aims to raise money to fight the disease. Donations are also being accepted here.

Clouds is currently approaching 3 million views on YouTube.

Here’s another song Zach and his group A Firm Handshake released in February:

[via Today]

Jolie, who wrote a piece for the New York Times this week about her brave decision to go under the knife as a preemptive strike against breast cancer, says she did it partly because she watched her mom go through a battle with the disease and doesn’t want to leave her own children without their mom. Sambolin says the same thing inspired her to elect for the invasive surgery.

“I struggled for weeks trying to figure out how tell you that I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was leaving to have surgery then Angelina Jolie shares her story of a double mastectomy and gives me strength and an opening,” Sambolin wrote on Facebook.

Sambolin says her prognosis is a good one due to early detection, and says she wants to warn women of the dangers of being neglectful with their breast care. She is scheduled to undergo surgery on May 28.