WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In the U.S., approximately 159,000 women are living with metastatic breast cancer. To raise awareness of Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 13, MedImmune Specialty Care Division of AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) is launching the My+Story online resource center, which highlights the needs of women living with metastatic breast cancer and calls attention to metastatic disease as a key component of October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day was officially recognized by the U.S. Congress in 2009, following a grassroots awareness effort led by members of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network (MBCN).
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"Women living with metastatic breast cancer face a treatable, but incurable disease. Because we are always in treatment, our challenges are very different than patients with early stage breast cancer," said Shirley Mertz, President of MBCN. "We need support to help us live healthier and longer lives."
The My+Story site at MyMBCStory.com houses tools and information tailored for women living with advanced disease. The website is designed to connect patients with the information they need, and links to patient support groups that have specific programs for metastatic breast cancer patients--Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) and MBCN.
Visitors can learn about metastatic breast cancer and treatment options, find tips on how to take care of their bodies, and celebrate their life experiences by creating a hard copy photobook of personal stories that may be shared with loved ones. Women with metastatic breast cancer and those who are directly inspired by them can also create a personalized flower badge that can be shared at MyMBCStory.com and with their personal social media community to help raise awareness.
"The My+Story site empowers women to communicate with their own loved ones and express themselves not as nameless statistics, but as individuals with a unique mind, body and spirit," said Jean Sachs, CEO of LBBC. "It is important for these women to create an enduring legacy through various mechanisms by threading powerful personal accounts that, when connected, make a meaningful difference in the story of metastatic breast cancer."
During the month of October, supporters of women with metastatic breast cancer can visit MyMBCStory.com/awareness to download free educational materials and inspire members of their community to help raise awareness of the disease. Interactive features allow visitors to share their favorite images and information from the site with others via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Throughout the month, AstraZeneca will make a contribution to LBBC and MBCN each time visitors share content, up to a total of $28,000 in acknowledgment of the 28 years since National Breast Cancer Awareness Month was established and of the ongoing effort to bring metastatic breast cancer to the forefront.
"MedImmune Specialty Care Division of AstraZeneca is committed to helping unify the metastatic breast cancer community by pairing the inspirational stories of real women with necessary resources," said Gregory Keenan, MD, Vice President Medical Affairs and U.S. Head Medical Officer, AstraZeneca. "Our overarching goal is to progress care for metastatic breast cancer and other advanced cancers through continued research and development in both large and small molecules to widen the variety of future oncology treatments available to those in need."
Metastatic breast cancer—a form of advanced breast cancer also referred to as stage IV breast cancer—occurs when breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Although there is no cure for metastatic disease, it may be controlled with treatment; the goal of treatment is to control the growth of the cancer or relieve symptoms. In approximately 30% of women with early breast cancer, the disease will eventually return, or recur, as advanced or metastatic cancer. Approximately 159,000 women in the US are living with metastatic breast cancer, and this number is projected to increase to approximately 164,000 by the year 2015.
To learn more about metastatic breast cancer and how you can help raise awareness, visit MyMBCStory.com/awareness. For more educational resources on metastatic breast cancer and support tools, visit www.lbbc.org or www.mbcn.org.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About My+Story
A concerted effort among Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Metastatic Breast Cancer Network and MedImmune Specialty Care, My+Story is an online community created for women living with metastatic breast cancer and for the family and friends who care for them. On this site, women can learn about metastatic breast cancer and treatment options, find tips on how to take care of their body, and celebrate their life experiences by sharing a personal story with loved ones. During the month of October, visitors to the Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness day page can show support by sharing information learned as well as awareness logos with others in their social networks.
About Living Beyond Breast Cancer
LBBC's mission is to connect people with trusted breast cancer information and a community of support. National conferences, monthly webinars, regional community meetings, the Guides to Understanding Breast Cancer and a toll-free Breast Cancer Helpline are just a few examples of the services that are provided, always at little or no cost. If someone you know has recently been diagnosed, is in treatment, recovery, years beyond their diagnosis or living with metastatic breast cancer, LBBC can help. For more information, visit lbbc.org, call (610) 645-4567 or download a free copy of Empower, LBBC's general information brochure.
About Metastatic Breast Cancer Network
MBCN is a national, independent, nonprofit, patient advocacy group dedicated to the unique concerns of the women and men living with metastatic breast cancer. We strive to help those living with stage IV breast cancer be their own best advocate through providing education and information on treatments and coping with the disease. For more information, visit www.mbcn.org.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
For more information about AstraZeneca in the US or our AZ&Me™ Prescription Savings programs, please visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com or call 1-800-AZandMe (292-6363).
About MedImmune Specialty Care
MedImmune Specialty Care Division of AstraZeneca is a patient-focused, biopharmaceutical business unit responsible for the commercialization of small molecule and biologic prescription medicines. Within the U.S., MedImmune Specialty Care provides commercial support and insights for in-line marketed products addressing respiratory, inflammation and autoimmunity, oncology, infection and vaccines. Headquarters are located in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
SOURCE MedImmune Specialty Care Division of AstraZeneca