GSK’s More than Words Campaign urges everyone to take action against breast cancer

In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) steps up its commitment to improving the lives of women with breast cancer with its More than Words campaign. This is a GSK initiative which calls for people to engage in proactive dialogue and positive action to improve the awareness, management and care of breast cancer patients around the world.

Breast cancer is by far the most frequent cancer of women worldwide, resulting in over one million new cases each year and is the leading cause of female cancer-related deaths. In Asia, the Philippines has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer with a survival rate that is much lower than the world average.

The fact that one out of nine Filipinos today could develop breast cancer has prompted GSK to go beyond awareness to action.  “Awareness is only the first step. We want to encourage everyone to take action in their own way to support our goal of helping more women manage, if not altogether prevent, the devastating effects of breast cancer” says Dr. Joven Tanchuco, GSK Medical Director.

Here are some ways for Filipinos to actively take part in the fight against breast cancer.

One of the biggest factors that contribute to the low survival rate of women with breast cancer in the Philippines is late diagnosis so women are advised to read up and familiarize themselves with the signs, symptoms and risk factors of breast cancer.

"Early detection is key so women should start conducting breast examinations regularly and urge friends, family members and partners to do the same,” said Dr. Tanchuco. “Accompanying a friend, family or partner for a mammogram is another way to offer support and encourage each other to avail of this essential screening technique."

There are a number of breast cancer advocacy organizations in the Philippines that were created to raise awareness on the disease and provide supportive care to patients. Volunteering or supporting their different activities will ensure these groups are able to continue helping women with breast cancer.

Studies show a growing acceptance of the notion that cancer risk reduction can be achieved through improved nutrition. The Food and Nutrition Institute of the Department of Science and Technology advises everyone to follow these dietary guidelines to help reduce cancer risk: Increase consumption of leafy green and yellow vegetables, fruits and unrefined cereals; eat fatty foods and drink alcohol in moderation; limit consumption of smoked, charcoal broiled, salt-cured and salt-pickled foods; avoid moldy foods; stop smoking.

GSK’s commitment to the fight against breast cancer

GSK is taking action in the fight against breast cancer by actively initiating and supporting a range of projects designed to help women with breast cancer. It continues to invest in translational research to develop targeted treatments which, unlike many of today’s standard treatments, are designed to attack the cancer cells specifically, while leaving normal cells unharmed. Such targeted therapies can possibly help limit side effects and make cancer treatments more tolerable.

In February 2008, GSK launched the breakthrough drug lapatinib in the Philippines for women with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumors overexpress the protein ErbB2 (HER2) and have received prior therapy, including trastuzumab. Taken orally, clinical trial data shows that this medicine, belonging to the targeted therapy class of drugs, produced significant improvement in time to disease progression compared to capecitabine alone in patients with ErbB2 positive advanced breast cancer. The drug works by getting inside the cancer cell and inhibiting an enzyme called tyrosine kinase, one of the known factors responsible for tumor growth.

About GSK Oncology

GSK Oncology is dedicated to producing innovations in cancer that will make profound differences in the lives of patients. Through GSK’s revolutionary “bench to bedside” approach, the company is transforming the way treatments are discovered and developed, resulting in one of the most robust pipelines in the oncology sector. GSK is closing in on cancer from all sides with a new generation of patient focused cancer treatments in prevention, supportive care, chemotherapy and targeted therapies.

As one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, GSK is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better, and live longer.

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