Cancer is a prevalent disease and one of the leading causes of death, but it is still stigmatized. The #HistoriasdeVida campaign was born with the purpose of breaking taboos and promoting research.
How does a person receive their own cancer diagnosis? And what about a close relative? How does an oncologist prepare to deliver that news? What concerns does a cancer survivor have? What personal experience moves a psychologist to specialize in psycho-oncology?
These and other questions, in relation to cancer, are the ones that we ask ourselves on many occasions but are usually relegated to the private sphere or more segmented.
In order to answer all these questions, the pharmaceutical company MSD Next to the Foundation for Excellence and Quality in Oncology (ECO Foundation)have promoted the #HistoriasdeVida campaign, where they show the testimony of different people who share stories close to cancer.
“For MSD, this collaboration is essential to continue advancing research and scientific progress against cancer and to continue providing innovations that save and improve lives,” says the doctor and medical director of MSD in Spain, Joaquín Mateos.
The campaign also has the collaboration of the MORE THAN IDEAS Foundationthe Spanish Society of Oncology Nursing and the Spanish Association for Cancer Research.
Cancer, a very present disease
Cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the world.
In Spain, the number of cancers diagnosed in 2023 will reach 279,260 casesaccording to the estimates of the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN).
In addition, the general number of cancers diagnosed in Spain has increased in recent decades.
They indicate as cause different factors:
- population increase.
- The aging of the population.
- Exposure to risk factors such as tobacco or alcohol.
- The rise of early detection.
“Starting with each one of the people diagnosed, if we also take into account their relatives, friends and health professionals who will accompany them on a daily basis during this journey, we find ourselves before a very significant part of society that will live together, in one way or another, with the disease”, explains Dr. Mateos.
Ending cancer stigma as a goal
For #HistoriasdeVida the ultimate goal is to end the cancer stigma and that society gets involved in the fight against this disease.
To do this, eleven people have been interviewed, including family members, health professionals and caregivers who accompany people with cancer on a day-to-day basis.
and has given rise to seven audiovisual pills that reflect anecdotes, feelings and learning told firsthand and that will guide the viewer through the path lived.
The project will continue over time and will continue to incorporate new testimonies and stories, as well as actions that serve to normalize experiences of those who live with cancer in their day to day and thus be able to end the stigmatization.
In this way, talking about cancer from multiple perspectives is an important step to break the taboo that haunts this disease.
“The Life Stories initiative values the experience of people with cancer. This disease goes far beyond the medical aspects. Each person has a different reality and it is important to convey that there is not a single way of living with cancer”, he concludes. Diego Villalón García, social worker and co-founder of the MÁS QUE IDEAS Foundation.