Press Releases
PhRMA Launches New Campaign To Improve Cancer Awareness
Washington, D.C. (September 5, 2006) – With more than half a million Americans dying each year from all forms of cancer, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) launched a new multi-media national health education campaign on cancer awareness.
“Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and nearly 1.4 million cases will be diagnosed this year,” said Billy Tauzin, president and CEO of PhRMA—and a cancer survivor himself—citing statistics from the American Cancer Society. “Because early diagnosis can improve treatment outcomes, it is clear that education is important for patients. Knowledge and early action can often help turn cancer from a killer into a more manageable disease.”
PhRMA’s new public service campaign will stress the importance of patients consulting with their healthcare providers. It will also promote helpful websites where they can find answers about prevention and the latest advances in treatments. The new campaign, supported by national newspaper and television ads in addition to new web-based materials and radio segments, will provide vital information in central, easy-to-find locations.
This year, 564,830 Americans will die from cancer—more than 1,500 people a day. In addition to cancer’s devastating human toll, the National Institutes of Health estimates that it costs our society $210 billion annually. But according to the American Cancer Society, more than 10 million Americans with a history of cancer are alive today because of advances in the detection and treatment of this disease.
As a result of a steady stream of new and improved cancer treatments, recent data show that in 2003 the total number of people who died of cancer went down for the first time in over 70 years, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics. Today, 646 new medicines that can treat or prevent many types of cancer are in the development pipeline.
“I know from personal experience just how devastating cancer can be,” added Tauzin, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. “And I know how important it is for patients to have information to help make decisions about their treatment. PhRMA and its member companies want to provide as much information as possible to patients and their loved ones to aid them in making those decisions,” said Tauzin. “I hope everyone who needs answers on cancer will find this information helpful.”
Materials from the national public awareness campaign are available at http://www.phrma.org/cancer. For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $39.4 billion in 2005 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $51.3 billion in 2005.
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PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org
For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org
For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info