Raising Awareness of Clinical Trial Participation Using Social Media
Black Health Matters, the leading health and chronic disease management platform for African Americans will launch a social media campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer and clinical trial participation. This focus will introduce new content to be socialized on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in a campaign that will speak to people of color with breast cancer. The campaign will capture the voice of the female and male breast cancer patient based on insights unique to their journey. Men diagnosed with breast cancer represent <1% of the population, but should not be dismissed. The campaign is designed is to speak directly to those with ER+/HER2- breast cancer. This campaign is funded by Bristol Myers Squibb to provide educational information about clinical trial participation and relatable information for caregivers.
Background
Deaths from breast cancer are going down among both black and white women, especially among younger black women. But breast cancer death rates are 40% higher among black women than white women:
- US woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is 1 in 8
- Roughly 90 percent of white women with breast cancer will survive five years after diagnosis. Only 79 percent of black women will
- Compared with white women, breast cancer incidence rates were higher among black women who are younger than 60 years old or older
- Breast cancer was more likely to be found at an earlier stage among white women than among women of color
The Game Plan
The campaign will encourage men and women to be better informed as they explore their treatment decisions. It is important to discuss clinical trial participation as a possible option as the oncologist and other healthcare providers speak to the patient about their treatment plan.
“We want women and men with ER+/HER2- breast cancer to understand that participating in a research study, could possibly unlock key discoveries that will lead to a better understanding of cancer for people of color,” says Roslyn Y. Daniels, President and Founder of Black Health Matters.
She adds, “The unique genetic information in one’s cancer can hold the key to rapid advances in treatment options. The information gleaned from clinical trial participation could be invaluable both today and for future generations.”
The campaign’s call-to-action is to have a direct impact on your present and future quality of life by participating in research studies. Themes such as “believe” and “trust” will be utilized to convey connection with patient warriors. Hashtags will be instituted such as “trustandthrive”, “blackbreastsmatters” and “fightlikeagirl.” The social activation will include tagging leading influencers who themselves have had cancer. The influencers include fierce women and men who are survivors with unique stories to share about what cancer taught them about their personal resolve and resilience.
Please visit BMSStudyConnect.com, Bristol Myer Squibb’s unique portal to learn about clinical trials, connect with other patients and search for a clinical trial that might be right for you or a loved one.
About Black Health Matters
Black Health Matters is a trusted health content and experiential woman-owned firm that offers digital, social and screening programs that reach consumers, patients and medical practitioners. The platform was launched in 2012, prior to the Black Lives Matters movement. The launch coincided with the confirmation of the Affordable Care Act to help newly insured families improve their health literacy through self-reflective evidence-based health content.
SOURCE Black Health Matters
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Rebecca Jo is a mother of four and is a creative soul from Phoenix, Arizona, who also enjoys new adventures. Rebecca Jo has a passion for the outdoors and indulges in activities like camping, fishing, hunting and riding rollercoasters.
