As we recognize World Lung Cancer Day on August 1, this is an opportune time to reflect on the individuals and organizations – the clinicians, clinical researchers, the patient advocates, the companies advancing therapy and so many more – who are coming together to improve the lives of those living with lung cancer and address their unique needs and challenges.
As part of our commitment to the cancer community, Jazz actively seeks out and listens to patients, physicians, care teams and advocacy groups for insights that could help develop new or better standards of care for rare and difficult-to-treat cancers. We understand that receiving the right support at the time of cancer diagnosis and beyond is important to long-term outcomes. Multidisciplinary partnerships offer a unique and powerful opportunity to advance common goals and address both the medical and emotional needs of these individuals to make a meaningful difference in their lives.
One example of this is our collaborative work with four leading cancer organizations – CancerCare, GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Foundation of America and LUNGevity Foundation – to develop Nothing Small About It (NSAI), the first digital hub directed solely to supporting small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients and their caregivers. What makes this campaign so impactful is that it was built alongside patients, caregivers and advocacy organizations to deliver straightforward, user-friendly education and resources to support patients and their families through diagnosis, treatment, news of progression and the challenges along the way. Our hope for NSAI is that we can recognize, humanize and reflect on these challenges at each stage of the patient journey by elevating awareness of patient and caregiver experiences so that in turn, we may demonstrate empathy and enhance feelings of dignity and self-worth within the broader lung cancer community.
I’m proud to be part of a team that is committed to addressing both the physical and emotional needs of those living with SCLC and their loved ones. While World Lung Cancer Day serves as an opportunity to reflect on the distinct challenges faced by the lung cancer community, at Jazz we recognize that we need to continue our efforts every day and we can’t let up because, frankly, lung cancer won’t.
