INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --
- An estimated 113 people die every day in the U.S.
from metastatic breast cancer (MBC).1 This
devastating statistic adds to the emotional and mental weight of
living with incurable cancer.
- The busy holiday season and pressure of fresh starts
and goal setting for the New Year may add stress to people who are
actively in treatment for metastatic
disease.2,3
- Yet, women and men living with MBC thrive daily for
themselves, their loved ones and their fellow thrivers.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY), together with leaders of the
MBC community, conducted a national survey to better understand the
unique challenges people living with MBC face daily. Ninety percent
(90%) of people surveyed said they experience a new or worsened
emotional issue while living with this devastating disease, with
more than a third saying they are unlikely to ask for help when it
comes to emotional support and companionship.*4
The stress of the holiday season and pressure around a new
year can be inspiring for some but draining for others. For people
living with MBC, the mental and emotional toll can be
significant.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
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Despite these daily challenges, the MBC community has a
never-ending spirit to do all they can to thrive while actively in
treatment for their disease. Inspired by the community's strength,
celebrity fitness trainer and yoga expert, Anna Kaiser has partnered with Lilly once again
to issue a 30-Day Thriver Challenge — as part of the More
For MBC initiative — to help raise awareness and funds
to improve support for people with advanced breast cancer. The
purpose of the challenge is to provide 30 days of mindfulness
activities and "life hacks" for and by the community coming out of
the busy holiday season and into a new year to encourage self-care,
empowerment and inspiration for women and men living with MBC.
"I'm inspired by the daily strength, motivation and
determination of the women and men living with metastatic breast
cancer. We must increase understanding of their unique needs and
provide resources that help take care of the whole person – mind,
body and spirit," says Kaiser. "The 30-Day Thriver Challenge is a
reminder of the support they need to continue thriving for
themselves and the people they love."
Kaiser is teaming up with patient advocate Christine Hodgdon, who lives with MBC, to share
their own tips for emotional support and wellness during the 30-Day
Thriver Challenge.
"Many of my fellow thrivers and I often say that most people
cannot tell we're sick. This adds to the stress of managing my
disease. I feel like I also have to manage others' expectations of
what someone with incurable cancer looks like and struggles with
daily," explains Christine Hodgdon,
Hear My Voice leadership volunteer with Living Beyond Breast Cancer
(LBBC), a national non-profit providing programs and services to
help people whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer. "Many
of us experience the same stress of the holidays as everyone else,
but we also have to balance the fear and anxiety that come with
advanced breast cancer. Although I am stable and doing well, I'm
heartbroken watching dear friends die of metastatic breast cancer.
It takes an emotional toll, and I must take care of my physical and
mental health. I'm excited to participate in the 30-Day Thriver
Challenge because all thrivers deserve the support and resources to
help care for the person, not just the disease."
In honor of the 30-Day Thriver Challenge, Lilly will donate
$100,000 to MBC advocacy
organization, METAvivor, to support its peer-to-peer programing for
people living with MBC and travel scholarships for patients to
attend medical meetings to help continue empowering the community
through knowledge of the latest advanced breast cancer
research.
"Lilly's support for peer-to-peer programming and scholarships
for MBC patients to be on the frontlines of research helps
METAvivor in two powerful ways," said Beth
Fairchild, president of METAvivor. "It allows us to continue
connecting women and men living with MBC so they can share advice,
offer support or simply enjoy the company of others who are on the
same journey. This funding also helps us bring patients to the
latest research and science in advanced breast cancer — elevating
the community's knowledge and presence at medical meetings.
Together, we can help patients continue thriving today and
tomorrow."
During the 30-Day Thriver Challenge, Kaiser and Hodgdon
encourage the public to show support for people living with MBC by
following the challenge on Facebook @MoreforMBC or sharing personal
tips, life hacks and inspiration for self-care, emotional support
and well-being, using @MoreforMBC.
"Although there have been important advancements in metastatic
breast cancer research and care, there is much more to be done to
address the emotional, social and practical challenges that people
living with this disease face daily," said Maura Dickler,
M.D., vice president, late stage development, Lilly Oncology.
"Lilly is committed to raising awareness and supporting solutions
on the unmet needs of women and men living with advanced breast
cancer."
For more information and to join the conversation, visit
www.facebook.com/moreformbc.
* If you have experienced a new or worsened mental health
condition following an MBC diagnosis, it's important to speak with
a doctor about the symptoms you are having.
About the More For MBC Survey
As part of the
More For MBC initiative, Lilly, in partnership with leaders
of the MBC community, commissioned a national survey to understand
the unique emotional, social and physical challenges people living
with MBC face every day. Three groups — 297 patients, 200 friends
and family and 351 healthcare providers (201 oncologists and 150
oncology nurses) — were included in the survey to get a
comprehensive understanding of the impact of MBC on the daily lives
of patients. Separate surveys were completed by each target group,
allowing for analysis of the gaps in conversation and needs that
exist between patients and their caregivers and treatment
teams.
About the More For MBC Initiative
Advanced
breast cancer includes MBC, meaning cancer that has spread from the
breast tissue to other parts of the body, and locally or regionally
advanced breast cancer, meaning the cancer has spread to tissue
surrounding the breast, nearby lymph nodes, or blood
vessels.5,6 Of all early stage breast cancer cases
diagnosed in the U.S., approximately 30 percent will become
metastatic and an estimated six to 10 percent of all new breast
cancer cases are initially diagnosed as being
metastatic.7,8,9 In the last few years,
there have been notable advancements made in MBC, but there is more
to be done to address the emotional, social and physical challenges
that people living with MBC face daily.10 More For
MBC aims to bring more awareness of MBC through more education,
more research and more dedicated solutions to support the women and
men living with MBC, and the communities that surround them.
About Lilly Oncology
For more than 50 years, Lilly has
been dedicated to delivering life-changing medicines and support to
people living with cancer and those who care for them. Lilly is
determined to build on this heritage and continue making life
better for all those affected by cancer around the world. To learn
more about Lilly's commitment to people with cancer, please visit
www.LillyOncology.com.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly is a global health
care leader that unites caring with discovery to create medicines
that make life better for people around the world. We were founded
more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality
medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that
mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to
discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them,
improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back
to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more
about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and
newsroom.lilly.com/social-channels. P-LLY
1 METAvivor. Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness,
Research and Support. https://www.metavivor.org/. Accessed:
November 22, 2019.
2 National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of
Health. Adjustment to Cancer: Anxiety and Distress (PDQ®)–Patient
Version.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/anxiety-distress-pdq.
Accessed: December 12, 2019.
3 Cancer.net. Cancer and the Holidays: Answers to Common
Questions.
https://www.cancer.net/blog/2014-12/cancer-and-holidays-answers-common-questions.
Accessed: December 12, 2019.
4 More for MBC Survey. Eli Lilly & Co.
September 2018.
5 PubMed Health. Recurrent non-metastatic breast cancer.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072608/. Accessed:
September 27, 2018.
6 American Cancer Society. Understanding Advanced
Cancer, Metastatic Cancer and Bone Metastases.
https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/advanced-cancer/what-is.html.
Accessed: September 27, 2018.
7 Saphner T, Tormey DC, Gray R. Annual hazard rates of
recurrence for breast cancer after primary therapy. J Clin Oncol.
1996;14(10):2738-46.
8 Iqbal J, et al. Differences in breast cancer stage at
diagnosis and cancer-specific survival by race and ethnicity in
the United States. JAMA.
2015;313:165–73.
9 Metastatic Breast Cancer Network. 13 Facts about
Metastatic Breast Cancer.
http://www.mbcn.org/13-facts-about-metastatic-breast-cancer/.
Accessed: September 27, 2018.
10 U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
Hematology/Oncology (Cancer) Approvals & Safety
Notifications.
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/informationondrugs/approveddrugs/ucm279174.htm.
Accessed: September 27,
2018.
Refer to: Courtney
Kasinger; ckasinger@lilly.com; 317-501-7056 (media)
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