Patient Worthy is expanding its platform for sharing patient stories through the production of short-form videos featuring rare disease patients. Recently, we sat down with Margaret, who lives with metastatic breast cancer. In this video, she talks about her diagnosis, advice for other patients, and the importance of finding community. Margaret is not dying of breast cancer; she’s living with it.
Check it out below:
@patientworthyrarenews STORY SHARE: Margaret isn’t dying of breast cancer. She’s living with it. #breastcancer #breastcancerawareness #breastcancersupport ♬ original sound – Patient Worthy Rare News
About Metastatic Breast Cancer
Breast cancer itself is not a rare disease, but it is rare for breast cancer to metastasize, or spread to other areas of the body. There are about 150,000 people in the US that have metastatic breast cancer. This is because breast cancer is generally detected fairly early on in most cases and treatments are effective enough for survival rates to be quite high, at least in the developed world. In the US, for example, the five-year survival rate is 85 percent. Risk factors include obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, radiation, exposure to certain chemicals, certain genetic variants (such as BRCA mutations), and hormonal birth control. Breast cancer can spread to a variety of sites, such as bones, lungs, brain, liver, and nearby lymph nodes. Symptoms vary depending on the site of the metastases. Metastatic breast cancer is often lethal and cannot be cured. Click here to learn more about metastatic breast cancer.
Chronic conditions and rare diseases don’t discriminate. Patient Worthy and its partners are interested in amplifying the voices of those from all identities and backgrounds. If you have a journey to share, reach out to learn more about how your voice can help spread awareness and inspire individuals from all walks of life.
