PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Through Living Beyond Breast Cancer's "Beyond the Breast" campaign, women and men are drawing attention to what it's like to live with metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer, while advocating for better-funded research, with the hashtag #beyondthebreast. Sharing their stories on Twitter, Facebook, and LBBC's award-winning blog, some post pictures of themselves holding signs pointing to their hip, or their head, or their spine, with the words, "My breast cancer is here."
There is still no cure for metastatic breast cancer, in which the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. More than 40,000 people die of the disease each year, and a significant percentage of people diagnosed with localized cancers eventually develop metastatic disease.
"Breast cancer isn't something I'm 'aware' of only during the month of October," says LBBC Board Member Ayanna Kalasunas, who has metastatic cancer. "For us, breast cancer awareness is every minute of every day, of every week, of every month of every year. We want our voices to be heard, too."
The campaign, an expression and awareness platform for people with metastatic breast cancer as well as a drive to educate, is an extension of LBBC's "Hear My Voice" metastatic cancer advocacy training program and many other resources for people living with all stages of breast cancer. For Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day on October 13, LBBC's new website (www.lbbc.org) and social media will feature blog posts from a variety of MBC perspectives, including:
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Ishiuan Hargrove, a radiation oncologist diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer while nursing her second son, later developed metastatic breast cancer. She is now a patient advocate volunteering through LBBC's Hear My Voice program, and writes about "Understanding Triple-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer and Coping Through Advocacy": https://livingbeyondbc.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/understanding-triple-negative-metastatic-breast-cancer-and-coping-through-advocacy/
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Caryn Kaplan writes about why her third breast cancer diagnosis, this time with metastatic disease, convinced her to devote her life to caring for others and advocating for herself, and what she has gained and lost in the course of her experiences with cancer: https://livingbeyondbc.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/lost-and-found-passed-time-and-gained-purposes-from-early-stage-to-metastatic-breast-cancer/
- Laura Snyder, a triathlete dealing with metastatic cancer in her brain and neck, offers advice for care providers and other patients about trust, clear communication, and making treatment decisions: https://livingbeyondbc.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/communication-trust-and-dignity-in-metastatic-breast-cancer-care/
To speak with these and other women affected by metastatic breast cancer, or to Jean Sachs, CEO of LBBC, on the information and support available, contact Kevin Gianotto at kevin@lbbc.org.
Read more about LBBC's "Beyond the Breast" campaign here: http://www.lbbc.org/beyondthebreast
Read more posts: https://livingbeyondbc.wordpress.com/tag/beyond-the-breast/
Or join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #beyondthebreast.
About Living Beyond Breast Cancer
Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) is a nonprofit organization whose vision is a world where no one impacted by breast cancer feels uninformed or alone. To strive toward reaching that vision, LBBC's mission is to connect people with trusted breast cancer information and a community of support. LBBC addresses the current needs of people affected by breast cancer, whether they are newly diagnosed, in treatment, recovery or living with a history of or managing a metastatic form of the disease. Resources are developed in collaboration with the nation's leading oncologists, health professionals and ally organizations and are delivered by people who understand the physical and emotional complexities of breast cancer. LBBC offers its programs and services in a variety of printed and digital formats. For more information, visit them at LBBC.ORG.
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