Actress Adamari López And Amgen Launch Spanish-Language Chemotherapy: Myths Or Facts™ Website And Resources
Quimioterapia: Mitos y Realidades Aimed at Helping Spanish-Speaking Patients and Caregivers Take Control of Their Chemotherapy Journey
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) today launched Quimioterapia: Mitos y Realidades, a Spanish-language extension of the Chemotherapy: Myths or FactsTM awareness initiative for cancer patients and their caregivers, featuring actress and Emmy® award-winning television personality Adamari López. In 2005, López was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. She has since become a breast cancer advocate and is working with Amgen to share her personal story.
"When going through a difficult situation, like a cancer diagnosis, it is critical to get information in your native language. I learned this first hand during my own chemotherapy journey, when I struggled to find helpful resources in Spanish," said López. "Quimioterapia: Mitos y Realidades aims to bridge a gap for Spanish-speaking cancer patients by providing valuable in-language information to help them take charge of their chemotherapy journey."
Nearly one in two Hispanic men and one in three Hispanic women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. For those who go through chemotherapy, having online information and resources in Spanish is highly valuable. Research shows Hispanic adults faced with a cancer diagnosis have very specific challenges when undergoing treatment and many decisions are guided by cultural factors, such as language, beliefs, values and traditions.1,2
Mike Cusnir, M.D., oncologist and hematologist from The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami Beach, Fla., is also working with Amgen to bring a medical perspective to the awareness initiative. "Many newly diagnosed cancer patients have preconceived notions about chemotherapy," said Dr. Cusnir. "For example, some patients believe they have to isolate themselves from friends and family during treatment, or are unaware of certain side effects that they need to be prepared for. Quimioterapia: Mitos y Realidades provides useful resources for Spanish-speaking patients and their caregivers to help them ask the right questions, and together, make the best decisions possible with their doctor."
Quimioterapia: Mitos y Realidades provides cancer patients and their caregivers with educational online resources, a series of videos featuring López and Dr. Cusnir sharing their experiences and insights, and downloadable tools with important things to think about before, during, and after chemotherapy treatment. Quimioterapia: Mitos y Realidades, and the English-language Chemotherapy: Myths or FactsTM, are sponsored by Amgen. To learn more, visit www.chemomythsorfacts.com or www.miquimioterapia.com.
About Adamari López
Adamari López is an accomplished actress and Emmy® award-winning television personality. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, she underwent a successful partial mastectomy, as well as chemotherapy. Since her diagnosis, Adamari has served as a public advocate for breast cancer awareness, education and research and today, has teamed up with Quimioterapia: Mitos y Realidades to help raise awareness of the questions surrounding chemotherapy and what to expect from treatment.
About Dr. Mike Cusnir
Dr. Mike Cusnir is an oncologist currently practicing at The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami Beach, Fla. He has gained international recognition as a medical oncology expert through his work as a clinician, researcher and professor in the field. Dr. Cusnir's research interests span gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and head and neck malignancies and he has published widely on these subjects with numerous peer-reviewed papers. Dr. Cusnir completed a hematology/oncology fellowship at the University of Maryland, Greenebaum Cancer Center in Baltimore.
About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its biologics manufacturing expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be the world's largest independent biotechnology company, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.
For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.
CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Kristen Davis, 805-447-3008 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)
References
1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures for Hispanics/Latinos: 2013-2014. Available here. Last accessed Sept. 2014.
2. National Cancer Institute. Stress Management Therapy for Chemotherapy Patients. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/featured/trials/mcc-0502. Last accessed Sept. 2014.
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SOURCE Amgen
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