A vivacious working mother. A motivated college athlete. A
career-minded dad and avid runner. An energetic father
and professional soccer referee. They differ in age,
gender, athleticism and careers, yet each was
stunned by a lung cancer diagnosis. Today, the four lung
cancer survivors take every opportunity to right misperceptions
about it being only a “smoker’s disease” and use their voices to
advocate for others who are impacted by the number one cancer
killer worldwide. They’ve joined leading lung cancer
advocacy groups, CancerCare and Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as
MSD outside the United States and Canada, to bring their
voices to Your Cancer Game Plan, an awareness
campaign focused on helping people with cancer and their loved ones
cope with their emotional well-being,
health/nutrition and communication needs during their cancer
journey. The program now offers resources to
help people with lung cancer map out their own cancer “game
plan.”
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171129005025/en/
Lung cancer does not have the same resources, support and public
empathy as many other cancers. Because there have only been
incremental increases in the survival rate for the past 40 years,
unfortunately there isn't an army of survivors who can become the
public face of the disease. Lung cancer survivor Taylor Bell Duck
wants to see this change. A never-smoker who was diagnosed at the
age of 21, she’s become a vocal advocate for those impacted by the
disease and is breaking down stereotypes in the process.
“After my diagnosis, I was sad and angry. No one deserves to get
lung cancer. I felt like it had taken so much away from me and that
my life would never be the same,” said Duck. “With my family’s
support and encouragement from my doctors, I came to realize that I
survived to make a difference in people’s lives that have to fight
this disease as well.”
By visiting www.yourcancergameplan.com people can get advice
from Duck and her fellow lung cancer survivors on facing stigma,
managing shifting family roles and finding hope. The site also
profiles Duck’s complete cancer journey, how she built a strong
support team, and her realization that she survived to advocate for
others going through the same journey. Your Cancer Game Plan for
lung cancer is a collaboration between Merck and CancerCare, and
five leading lung cancer patient organizations, including Bonnie J.
Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, LUNGevity, Lung Cancer Alliance,
Lung Cancer Foundation of America, and Lung Cancer Research
Foundation.
Understanding Lung Cancer
Lung cancer, which forms in the tissues of the lungs, usually
within cells lining the air passages, is the leading cause of
cancer death worldwide. Each year, more people die of lung cancer
than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. In fact, it is
estimated that approximately 155,000 Americans will die this year
from lung cancer. Unfortunately, because most lung cancers are
associated with smoking, lung cancer remains a highly-stigmatized
disease. The guilt and blame associated with lung cancer may
prevent people from talking about their illness and even visiting
their doctors for treatment.
“No matter how a person gets lung cancer, it shouldn’t impact
the care they get or the empathy they receive,” said Bonnie J.
Addario, lung cancer survivor and Chair of the Addario Lung Cancer
Foundation. “As the community focuses on growing survivorship,
patient advocacy in lung cancer has never been more important.
People affected by the disease are in need of reliable information
and resources to help support them in their journey.”
About Your Cancer Game Plan
“At the center of Your Cancer Game Plan is the person with
cancer, which is why we’re thrilled to work with this group of lung
cancer survivors on expanding this program,” said Jill DeSimone,
senior vice president, Merck Oncology, U.S. “Each of these
advocates brings a shared commitment and passion that Merck and our
partners hold for educating and supporting the community of people
impacted by this devastating disease.”
Your Cancer Game Plan is a resource for people with cancer and
their loved ones focused on the emotional, health and communication
challenges of living with cancer. The online Your Cancer Game Plan
hub provides unique video content including communication tips,
coping strategies, and health and nutritional information, as well
as healthy recipes, to help those with cancer and their caregivers
take an active role in developing a “game plan” to support their
journey. The initiative is supported by Merck in partnership with
CancerCare, Savor Health and 14 cancer-specific organizations –
including lung, melanoma and head and neck cancers – with more than
300 years of combined experience. To learn more, visit
www.yourcancergameplan.com.
About Our Partners
About CancerCare
Founded in 1944, CancerCare is the leading national organization
providing free, professional support services and information to
help people manage the emotional, practical and financial
challenges of cancer. Our comprehensive services include counseling
and support groups over the phone, online and in-person,
educational workshops, publications and financial and co-payment
assistance. CancerCare services are provided by oncology social
workers and world-leading cancer experts.
About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) is one of
the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and
patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating lung cancer
through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The
Foundation’s goal is to work with a diverse group of physicians,
organizations, industry partners, individuals, patients, survivors,
and their families to identify solutions and make timely and
meaningful change and turn lung cancer into a chronically managed
disease by 2023. The ALCF was established on March 1, 2006 as a
501c(3) non-profit organization and has raised nearly $30 million
for lung cancer research and related programs. For more information
about the ALCF please visit www.lungcancerfoundation.org or follow
ALCF on Facebook or Twitter.
About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity is the nation's leading lung cancer organization
investing in lifesaving, translational research and providing
support services and education for patients and caregivers.
LUNGevity’s goals are three-fold: (1) accelerate research to
patients, (2) empower patients to be active participants in their
treatment decisions, and (3) remove barriers that patients face in
accessing the right treatments.
LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate
impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people
with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and
more effective treatments, as well as by providing community,
support, and education for all those affected by the disease.
LUNGevity’s comprehensive resources include a medically vetted
website, a toll-free HELPLine in partnership with CancerCare®, a
unique Lung Cancer Navigator app, peer-to-peer mentoring for
patients and caregivers (LUNGevity LifeLine), and survivorship
conferences. LUNGevity also helps patients find and navigate
clinical trials through our Clinical Trial Finder tool, a Clinical
Trial Ambassador program, and participation with EmergingMed.
Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more
information about LUNGevity Foundation, please visit
www.LUNGevity.org.
About Lung Cancer Alliance
Lung Cancer Alliance serves and listens to those living with and
at risk for lung cancer to reduce stigma, improve quality of life
and increase survival. We empower a vibrant and caring community by
helping people navigate the paths of early detection, diagnosis,
treatment and long-term survival. Insights into our community allow
us to improve care, amplify awareness, drive advocacy and lead
transformative research with the vision of tripling the number of
survivors in the next decade.
About Lung Cancer Foundation of America
Lung Cancer Foundation of America’s (LCFA) mission is the
dramatic improvement in survivorship of lung cancer patients
through the funding of transformative science, with the ultimate
goal of curing the disease.
In 2017, LCFA will be responsible for funding 2 million dollars
in lung cancer research grants to young investigators by the end of
the year. Learn more about the Foundation at
www.lcfamerica.org.
About The Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation is the pre-eminent national
nonprofit focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with
the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for
people with lung cancer. The organization’s mission is to improve
lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention,
diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer.
To date, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation has provided 342
grants, totaling nearly $34 million to institutions around the
world for critical lung cancer research. In addition to funding
lung cancer research, the organization focuses on lung cancer
awareness and education programs. The Foundation will also host
over 50 public events nationwide through the Free to Breathe Event
Series.
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation and Free to Breathe merged
on September 30, 2017 to further our impact on lung cancer research
discoveries. Visit www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org to learn
more.
Merck’s Focus on Cancer
Our goal is to translate breakthrough science into innovative
oncology medicines to help people with cancer worldwide. At Merck
Oncology, helping people fight cancer is our passion and supporting
accessibility to our cancer medicines is our commitment. Our focus
is on pursuing research in immuno-oncology and we are accelerating
every step in the journey – from lab to clinic – to potentially
bring new hope to people with cancer.
About Merck
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global
biopharmaceutical company known as MSD outside of the United States
and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines
and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases.
Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies
and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in
more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We
also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care
through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today,
Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to advance the
prevention and treatment of diseases that threaten people and
communities around the world - including cancer, cardio-metabolic
diseases, emerging animal diseases, Alzheimer’s disease and
infectious diseases including HIV and Ebola. For more information,
visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc.,
Kenilworth, N.J., USA
This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J.,
USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are
based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's
management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.
If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or
uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially
from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general
industry conditions and competition; general economic factors,
including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations;
the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care
legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends
toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new
products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent
in new product development, including obtaining regulatory
approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market
conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial
instability of international economies and sovereign risk;
dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other
protections for innovative products; and the exposure to
litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory
actions.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause
results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2016
Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's
Internet site (www.sec.gov).
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171129005025/en/
Media:Courtney Ronaldo, 908-740-6132Christiana Pascale,
212-257-6722
Merck (NYSE:MRK)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Merck (NYSE:MRK)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024