Eli Lilly partnership hosts breast cancer risk factor tour

A partnership involving Eli Lilly, Y-ME Nation Breast Cancer Organisation and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) is entering its second year, with actress Jaclyn Smith touring the US to improve the understanding of risk factors for breast cancer.

Entitled Strength in Knowing: The Facts and Fiction of Breast Cancer, the campaign will see Ms Smith share her experiences of surviving breast cancer with women across the country.

Cities to be visited as part of the tour include Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC.

Attendees will be able to ask questions as part of an interactive discussion with experts in the field, with the aim of giving women vital information they can share with others regarding the factors that can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Susan Wysocki, president and chief executive officer of NPWH, said: “While the exact causes of breast cancer are still unknown, we do know that increasing age, family history and personal history raise a woman’s overall risk.”

She added that – as a nurse practitioner – she advises women to do what they can to improve their awareness of breast cancer risk factors and to follow guidelines on recommended screening.

Last month, Lilly Oncology – the cancer division of Eli Lilly – presented 76 studies to the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, including phase III information relating to Gemzar as therapy for breast cancer.