2023-07-19 11:01:09
Metastatic breast cancer is a reality that affects more than 2,000 women and men each year in Spain. To give a voice to all patients and claim the importance of this disease, the Spanish Association for Metastatic Breast Cancer (AECMM) organizes the first digital art collection inspired by the people affected.
The Spanish Association of Metastatic Breast Cancer (AECMM) has launched this initiative with the first collection of digital art inspired exclusively by the experiences of patients with this advanced disease, which affects more than 30,000 people each year in Europe.
The main objective of the digital campaign, which is part of the movement #laMquefaltais to give a voice to all patients and claim the importance of curbing this pathology.
NFTs and patients with metastatic breast cancer
The campaign consists of a unique exposure of NFTs, digital artistic elements such as an image, a song from social networks or an exclusive drawing online.
For this, eight NFTs or digital artistic productions created by four crypto-artists based on the true stories of six women and two men suffering from metastatic breast cancer.
All of them coexist with the disease in its various circumstances. Also with metastases in different parts of the body: lymphatic, bone, lung…
The exhibition, which has had the collaboration of Alianza Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, will be open to the public in the coming months at hospitals: 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Clínic de Barcelona, Virgen del Rocío in Seville and Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela.
“This has been a vital project that transforms you, that goes through you when you look straight at the person suffering from the disease,” he explains. Javier Arresone of the artists in charge of capturing in the digital universe the experiences of patients with metastatic breast cancer.
metastatic stage breast cancer
According to experts, the breast cancer it becomes metastatic when it spreads to other parts of the body, beyond its primary origin in the breast.
This metastasis can be located in different parts of the body, from the bones, to the liver, brain or lungs.
“Patients with a metastatic disease profile need more resources to be allocated to achieve a specific diagnosis that includes molecular study and tumor sequencing,” defends the doctor Eva Ciruelos, coordinator of the Breast Cancer and Gynecology Unit at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre in Madrid and vice president of the Solti breast cancer research group.
According to the expert, the goal is give to each patiente what you need at all timesto improve the quality of life of people with metastatic breast cancer.
“That is why we usually say that we need more research, for more life,” he says. Pilar Fernández, president of the AECMM.
Pilar Fernandez stresses that “30% of women diagnosed in early stages will suffer relapses throughout their livesa”.
In addition, the president of the AECMM stresses its concern for young women diagnosed in metastatic stage “some of them are diagnosed with less than 30 years”.
“For this reason, we need research and social awareness about the disease in order to improve our survival and our quality of life,” he concludes.
1% of cases are male
Despite not being the most common, approximately 1% of breast cancer patients correspond to men, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
men have more likely to be diagnosed with a case of advanced breast cancerspecifically 49% compared to 33% in the case of women.
In the same way, the survival rate for breast cancer in men is lower than that of women, since it presents a worse correlation between stage of diagnosis and effectiveness of treatment.
“Although society turns its back on our experience, for us male breast cancer is very real and we live with it every day, but also with the side effects, with the social stigma of lack of masculinity, with misunderstanding”, ponder Màrius Soler, president of the Male Breast Cancer Association (INVI).
“Our situation is very difficult because we are late for the consultation, since no one explains to us that we can detect the presence of lumps in our breasts, nor are there preventive awareness campaigns”, continues the president of INVI.
Javier Arrés is the crypto artist in charge of capturing Márius’ experiences in an NFT. The artist confesses that he “did not know that male breast cancer existed.”
“I am glad to have been able to become aware and empathize with these stories that inspire and leave their mark” concludes the digital artist.
#laMquefalta against breast cancer
“Positive speeches about breast cancer help raise awareness about the disease, but they sweeten its potential seriousness and the harsh reality that many patients face,” defends Pilar Fernández.
The social awareness movement #laMquefalta, within which this digital campaign of NFTs is framed, has made the metastatic breast cancer is already a more visible realitybut experts warn that much remains to be done.
From the AECMM They advocate that the conversation about cancer be completed with the M of metastatic to really put the needs of patients at the center.
“Our objective is to achieve scientific advances that make metastatic breast cancer chronic, but along this path we want to join hands with other actors to offer a new point of view on metastatic breast cancer,” he declares. Marta Moreno, Director of Corporate Affairs and Market Access at AstraZeneca Spain.
This is precisely the objective pursued by the launch of the NTFs digital gallery. “We combine innovation, art and technology, to make visible the word “metastatic”, that part of the story that was hidden about breast cancer”, concludes Marta Moreno.
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