Lilly and Metastatic Breast Cancer Advocates Launch Thriver Movement to Elevate Understanding of the Daily Impact of the Disease, Encourage Public to do More for MBC

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from a new national, multi-stakeholder survey commissioned by Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) reveal that metastatic breast cancer (MBC) places a significant daily strain on those living with the incurable disease. People with MBC who participated in the survey reported spending nearly half their time each week (47%) on things related to their cancer. In addition:

• Nine-in-ten respondents report experiencing a new or worsened emotional or mental health condition because of their diagnosis, with anxiety (61%), insomnia (56%) and depression (56%) most often reported.
• Friends and family also feel the significant impact of MBC, with 85 percent experiencing a new or worsened emotional or mental health condition since their loved one's diagnosis, most often anxiety (59%) and depression (45%).
• Healthcare providers recognize the importance of understanding the emotional aspect of MBC, with 45 percent of those surveyed reporting an interest in learning more about the impact of MBC on a patient's mental health and 71 percent showing a desire to understand how to help patients maximize quality of life.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8380531-lilly-more-for-mbc-thriver-metastatic-breast-cancer/  

"Everyone's metastatic breast cancer is different, from the genetic makeup of the cancer cells to where the cancer has spread, but the universal bond MBC patients share is the immense fear and anxiety that come with this advanced disease. Sometimes the fear looms large, and other times I can forget about it, but it never goes away," 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. "I think it is so important that we help people understand the daily impact of MBC, including the mental and emotional toll, so we can better support each other and share ways in which we thrive despite living with this disease. For me yoga, meditation and acupuncture have helped me cope with my disease, and having a pose developed specifically for the MBC community that represents our unstoppable spirit is very empowering."

In response to the survey findings, Lilly created the Thriver Movement as part of its More For MBC initiative, which aims to increase understanding of the daily impact of MBC, deliver more dedicated resources and advance the development of more treatment options. Lilly partnered with MBC activist and Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino as well as celebrity fitness instructor and yoga expert Anna Kaiser to launch the Thriver Movement. To mark the initiative's debut, Lilly collaborated with Kaiser and yoga instructors at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to develop a unique Thriver yoga pose and flow which is symbolic of the emotional and physical strength these women and men exude and can be done daily. The Thriver pose represents the strength and never-ending spirit of women living with MBC. Each day, by re-grounding in this pose and flow, people living with MBC and those who support them can channel positive energy and strength inward and outward to remind themselves and others to thrive in the face of an incurable disease.  

"MBC takes the lives of 113 people each and every day. It took the life of my best friend, and that is why I am lending my support to shine a light on the spirit of the women and men living with MBC and the ways in which they thrive each day. We need to do more to support them, to provide more resources, to offer more solutions and to generate more funding so they can keep thriving," Sorvino said.

The Thriver Movement encourages the public to show their support for people living with MBC by posting a photo or video of themselves doing the Thriver pose solo or in groups with the hashtag #MoreForMBC. For every post shared publicly on social media, Lilly will donate $100 (up to $225,000) to the MBC advocacy community to help people living with MBC thrive.  

"As a practicing oncologist and researcher, I saw firsthand the deep physical and emotional weight that comes with living with metastatic breast cancer," said Maura Dickler, M.D., vice president, late stage development, Lilly Oncology. "The reality of being on treatment for the rest of their lives can put a strain on those living with the disease and their support networks. As part of the More For MBC initiative, we are committed to providing programs and resources that empower people to take a more active role in their care, including understanding their unique disease characteristics and treatment options, driving more informed dialogue and advancing more research."

For more information and to join the conversation, visit www.facebook.com/moreformbc. This page highlights the full survey findings to further elevate attention on MBC and provide resources to help the MBC community thrive.

Additional Survey Findings

Relationships become critically important to MBC patients.

• When asked how the importance of various parts of their lives have changed since diagnosis, 85 percent say having a meaningful relationship with family is even more important now, and 68 percent say it's more important now to be a good friend. Conversely, 67 percent say possessions are less important, along with 61 percent who say what others think of you is less important and 46 percent who say their career is less important.

MBC can be invisible.

• 81 percent of people with MBC say that most people cannot tell that they have the disease.

People with MBC want more support than they're getting, but they are reluctant to ask for help.

• Patients would like more emotional support and companionship, with a 22 percent gap in each between what they currently get and what they would like to get.
• More than a third of patients say they are unlikely to ask for help when it comes to emotional support and companionship (37% and 35% of patients, respectively).

More education is needed.

• Fewer than half of patients — just 43 percent — are familiar with the newest treatments approved for MBC.

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 metastatic breast cancer, 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.^1,2 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.^3,4,5 In the last few years, there have been notable advancements made in metastatic breast cancer, but there is more to be done to address the emotional, social and physical challenges that people living with MBC face daily.⁶ 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 healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to 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  PubMed Health. Recurrent non-metastatic breast cancer. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072608/. Accessed: September 27, 2018.
²   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.
³  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.
⁴  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.
⁵   Metastatic Breast Cancer Network. 13 Facts about Metastatic Breast Cancer. http://www.mbcn.org/13-facts-about-metastatic-breast-cancer/. Accessed: September 27, 2018.
⁶ 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; [email protected]; 317-501-7056 (media)

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company

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