Recognizing the need for recently diagnosed breast cancer patients to talk to family, friends and healthcare experts for advice and support, Aventis Pharmaceuticals made
calling cards a core component of its outreach program for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. The campaign also helps bolster the image of oncologists as sensitive
healthcare providers.
Aventis is distributing 50,000 Connection Card kits to oncologists nationwide. The kits include 10 custom-designed, all-occasion note cards and envelopes, a 30-minute phone
card and a reference card that lists toll-free numbers and Web site addresses for six breast cancer organizations, like the American Cancer Society and The National Alliance of
Breast Cancer Organizations.
Another recent outreach effort targeting women diagnosed with breast cancer focused on demystifying the pathology report. Last week, "Understanding Your Pathology Report" was
the topic of a 90-minute chat session hosted by ibreast.com, a breast cancer Web site. The chat session provided a list of questions patients should ask physicians about their
pathology report, such as:
- Is the cancer non-invasive or invasive?
- Has the cancer spread to the underarm lymph nodes?
- What are the rate and grade of cell growth?
(Aventis, Laura Humphrey, 703/683-5363; ibreast.com, Julie McQuain, 212/477-0472)