Novartis Launches Bone Health Campaign for Breast Cancer Patients

 EAST HANOVER, NJ—If you are a breast cancer patient with bone pain, don’t ignore it; see your doctor. That is the primary message behind an educational campaign Novartis Oncology is launching directly to patients. The campaign encourages women to pay attention to persistent bone pain if they have or have had breast cancer, and to notify their doctor about it. A critical component of the campaign is to help women understand that there are treatment options for metastatic bone pain.

“Learning more about her breast cancer and seeking out new information about treatment options has become crucial for each patient and survivor as these treatment options have expanded,” said Amy Langer, executive director of the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations (NABCO).

The campaign was launched with a series of advertisements placed in consumer publications that reach out specifically to people living with cancer. A major component of the campaign is the Breast Cancer Support Network speakers’ program, in which oncology nurses provide information about bone health during meetings of local breast cancer support groups.

Materials provided by the campaign are available through a toll-free number (1-800-707-0778); a Novartis website on its agent Aredia (pamidronate disodium for injection), used for the treatment of osteolytic bone metastases in patients with multiple myeloma or breast cancer (www.Aredia.net); and display portfolios in oncologists’ offices.