METAvivor Receives $50,000 Grant from Pfizer and the Avon Foundation for Women

NEW YORK - Jan. 27, 2015 - PRLog -- METAvivor is proud to announce that it has been chosen as one of 23 grant recipients for the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program: Identify-Amplify-Unify. The program, run by Pfizer Inc. and the Avon Foundation for Women, granted a total of $1 million to 23 organizations nationwide to support and educate metastatic breast cancer patients (MBC), their caregivers, and their communities. The program was created in June 2014 to support advocacy, academic and other nonprofit organizations that provide information and services to help people with MBC navigate the medical and emotional challenges associated with their disease.

“To date, the majority of public attention on and funding for breast cancer has centered on early-stage disease – such as screening strategies and survivorship – not on late-stage diagnosis. As a result, the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Grants Program was established to address the gaps in support available to women and men living with metastatic disease, and to create new services for metastatic patients so they do not have to face this disease alone,” said Marc Hurlbert, executive director of the Avon Foundation for Women Breast Cancer Crusade. “Our hope is that one day all patients can access the unique care and support services they need, regardless of their ability to pay.”

MBC is the most advanced stage of breast cancer and occurs when cancer spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body, including the bones, lungs, liver and brain. Nearly three in 10 women who have had early breast cancer will eventually develop metastatic disease. There is no cure, and patients are in treatment until there are no other options.

“Pfizer is proud to join the Avon Foundation in supporting these 23 important projects and the organizations driving them,” said Maya Martinez-Davis, regional president, North America, Pfizer Oncology. “With the public breast cancer conversation focused primarily on early breast cancer, there is a need to foster greater understanding of metastatic disease and increased support for metastatic patients and their caregivers. Our hope is that the projects being funded by the Avon-Pfizer Metastatic Breast Cancer Grants Program will make a meaningful difference to the metastatic breast cancer community.”

METAvivor is a leader in establishing successful peer-to-peer support programs. Early on, our founders discovered the obstacles that patients with MBC face in typical breast cancer support groups. Often MBC patients are unwelcome or asked not to discuss the “scary” aspects of their disease. Clear that an MBC-specific group was needed, we developed a group based on mutual support, networking resources, and social connections to MBC patients in Maryland, Delaware, Washington DC and Virginia. Our support program has served over 200 individuals, and we will leverage our experience to establish similar groups across the country. This grant will enable us to formalize and record the methodology for launching and sustaining peer-to-peer support groups, provide supportive materials about critical topics facing MBC patients, and train volunteers to bring the program to their own communities. “As patients ourselves, we understand that MBC patients need both support and connections,” said Lori Marx-Rubiner, METAvivor president. “Our program begins with the patient and develops community. We are thrilled that with Avon-Pfizer’s support, we will be able to offer this across the country."

About METAvivor

METAvivor Research and Support Inc. is an all-volunteer non-profit organization founded by MBC patients in 2009. METAvivor raises awareness of MBC, provides support for people living with MBC, and offers many opportunities for others to help make a difference for the metastatic community. Our top priority is to fund critical research that will lead to advances in treatment options, quality of life and survival for MBC patients. Since 2009, METAvivor has awarded 14 research grants totaling nearly $900,000. METAvivor has gained a growing following within the breast cancer community, and has become a leader in its field. METAvivor is the only national organization with a peer-reviewed grant program aimed at exclusively funding MBC research. Visit http://www.metavivor.org for more information.

About Pfizer Oncology

Pfizer Oncology is committed to the discovery, investigation and development of innovative treatment options to improve the outlook for cancer patients worldwide. Our strong pipeline of biologics and small molecules, one of the most robust in the industry, is studied with precise focus on identifying and translating the best scientific breakthroughs into clinical application for patients across a wide range of cancers. By working collaboratively with academic institutions, individual researchers, cooperative research groups, governments, and licensing partners, Pfizer Oncology strives to cure or control cancer with breakthrough medicines, to deliver the right drug for each patient at the right time. Visit http://www.Pfizer.com for more information.

About the Avon Foundation for Women

The Avon Foundation for Women is the world’s largest corporate-affiliated philanthropy focused on issues that matter most to women. Since its inception in 1955, the Avon Foundation has promoted or aided charitable, scientific, educational, and humanitarian activities, with a special emphasis on activities that improve the lives of women and their families. Through 2013, Avon global philanthropy, led by the Avon Foundation, has donated more than $957 million in more than 50 countries for causes most important to women. Today, Avon philanthropy focuses on funding breast cancer research and access to care through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and efforts to reduce domestic and gender violence through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. Visit http://www.avonfoundation.org for more information.

About the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade

The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, which launched in 1992 and is led by the U.S.-based Avon Foundation for Women, has placed Avon and the Avon Foundation for Women at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer; today, Avon is the leading corporate supporter of the cause globally. Avon breast cancer programs in more than 50 countries have donated more than $815 million for research and advancing access to care, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Avon awards funding to beneficiaries ranging from leading cancer centers to community-based grassroots breast health programs to support breast cancer research and access to care. The Crusade has enabled more than 18 million women globally to receive free mammograms and breast cancer screenings, educated more than 145 million women about breast cancer, and funded promising research into the causes of breast cancer and ways to prevent the disease. The Avon Foundation raises funds for the Crusade through the sale of Avon “Pink Ribbon” products.