Pink-washing: An unflattering term coined by activists for pink products by companies that say they're helping fight breast cancer but are linked to practices that contribute to factors researchers say cause rising rates of the disease.

She also wonders whether corporations spend more money marketing the "pink" product than they contribute to the cause, and she accused some corporations, such as some cosmetic companies, of "pinkwashing," which means an item's production or usage may contribute to the development of cancer.

The San Francisco-based advocacy group has singled out what it calls "corporate pinkwashing"—companies using their support of the breast cancer cause in "an effort to boost sales and promote their image among female consumers," according to the Think Before You Pink campaign's Web site (www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org).