Pfizer and Avon Announce Metastatic Breast Cancer Program

To help increase support for people living with metastatic breast cancer and their caregivers, Pfizer and the Avon Foundation for Women have partnered to establish the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program.The partnership will award up to $1 million in grants to advocacy, academic, and other not-for-profit organizations who serve the metastatic breast cancer community. The program will support initiatives to provide information and services that help people with metastatic breast cancer navigate the medical and emotional challenges associated with their disease.

A survey commissioned by Pfizer found that more than 60% of respondents say they know little to nothing about metastatic breast cancer, which occurs when cancer spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body, including the bones, lungs, liver and brain. The survey was the first to examine the general public’s understanding of metastatic breast cancer, which affects up to 250,000 women and men in the US. The survey results reveal a range of misperceptions about the causes, treatments, and outcomes related to metastatic breast cancer.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program is designed to address many of the misperceptions found in the survey including 72% of respondents believe that breast cancer in the advanced stages is curable if diagnosed early and 50% of respondents believe that people with breast cancer experience disease progression because they did not take the right medicines or preventative measures.