Advanced Breast Cancer

How is Novartis supporting women with advanced breast cancer?

Significant medical advances have contributed to breast cancer survival in the UK doubling in the last 40 years.1 Increased public awareness in recent years has led to a greater commitment of resources across the country. This means that many women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer feel supported, educated and hopeful.

Despite this, breast cancer remains the most common cancer in the UK.2 Nearly a third of women diagnosed with earlier stages of breast cancer will eventually develop advanced disease - responsible for 90% of breast cancer related deaths.3,4 Advanced breast cancer is when the cancer cells travel from the breast to other parts of the body such as the bone, lungs or brain. This can also be described as secondary or metastatic breast cancer.

Research has shown that women with advanced breast cancer often feel isolated from those involved in the fight against early breast cancer and 67% feel like no one understands what they are going through.5,6

At Novartis, we recognise patient care is more than offering a treatment. It’s about maximising life. For this reason, we call on our 25-year heritage in breast cancer to contribute to the progress of how women living with this disease are supported. Some of our work includes:

  • Collaborating with patient groups to help us better understand the needs of women living with advanced breast cancer and how we can help deliver improved care. For more information on our work with patient groups, click here
  • Working in collaboration with the NHS to support service redesign and improve patient care. To find out more about our joint working, like the Velindre NHS Trust Metastatic Breast Cancer Service Development, please click here
  • Development of the SymTrac™ Lantern app, which supports people affected by breast cancer by allowing them to track their symptoms and the impact on their life over time. For more information about our app please click here
  • Having over 2,500 UK breast cancer patients over the past two decades being involved in 37 Novartis clinical trials across 186 hospitals
  • Contributing to the advancement of patient care by supporting the development of State of the Nation reports with key breast cancer charities7
  • Working closely with the NHS and policy makers to ensure appropriate patients can access our licensed medicines
  • Providing first in class medical education for the clinical community to revolutionise the way advanced breast cancer is treated

References
1. Cancer Research UK [Online]. Breast cancer statistics. Available from: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer#heading-Three [Accessed 12 April 2017].
2. Cancer Research UK [Online]. Breast cancer incidence (invasive) statistics. Available from: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/breast-cancer#heading-Zero [Accessed May 2017].
3. O'Shaughnessy J. Extending survival with chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer. The Oncologist. October 2005, 10(suppl.): 20-29
4. American Cancer Society. Unlocking the Mysteries of Metastasis. Available at: http://blogs.cancer.org/expertvoices/2013/01/23/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-metastasis/ [Accessed May 2017]
5. Results of the 2014 Realities of living with ABC survey commissioned by Novartis Oncology in the UK with 60 respondents living with advanced breast cancer distributed by Breast Cancer Care.
6. Results of The Count Us, Know Us, Join Us survey 2013, commissioned by Novartis Oncology in 12 countries with nearly 1 300 total respondents living with advanced breast cancer including 79 in the UK. Conducted by Harris Interactive.
7. Breast Cancer Care. Secondary breast cancer. Available from https://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/sites/default/files/secondary-breast-cancer-report-2016.pdf [Accessed May 2017]

 

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