Breast Cancer Survivor/Basketball Pro Edna Campbell Leads Fight to Increase Awareness of Chemotherapy Related Anemia

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 16 Jun 2004 - 11:00 PST

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Campbell Champions Rebound from Anemia, a National Campaign Developed to Educate and Motivate the Millions of People at Risk for Anemia to Seek Diagnosis and Treatment Indianapolis, IN (June 15, 2004) - When basketball star Edna Campbell was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly three years ago, she knew that she would need to re-direct her energy from professional basketball to fight her deadly disease. But breast cancer was not Edna's only challenge. She also had to battle anemia - a debilitating side effect of chemotherapy treatment that affects 71 percent of chemotherapy patients.1

Today, Campbell visits the Cancer Care Center of Johnson Memorial Hospital, a partner of the Community Cancer Care network in Indianapolis, to talk about her experience with breast cancer, anemia and her involvement in Rebound from Anemia, a national campaign developed to educate and motivate the millions of people at risk for anemia to seek diagnosis and treatment. Rebound from Anemia is sponsored by Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., marketer of PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa).

Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., launched the program in August 2002 with the help of basketball superstar Alonzo Mourning, who suffered from anemia-related to chronic kidney disease. In 2003, Campbell joined the Rebound from Anemia team to help educate cancer patients about chemotherapy-related anemia.

As part of the campaign, Campbell will dedicate tomorrow's basketball game between the Indiana Fever and the Sacramento Monarchs to local cancer patients. During the pre-game show, she is presenting the Rebound from Anemia award to recognize Bonnie Holman's heroic fight against cancer and anemia. Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., is making a financial contribution to the Indianapolis chapter of the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization.

Through the Rebound from Anemia program, Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., is making available free brochures by visiting www.procrit.com and clicking on the Rebound from Anemia logo. These educational brochures provide important information about anemia, chemotherapy side effects, as well as strategies for newly diagnosed cancer patients.

Edna Campbell "Rebounds" from Anemia

"When I was receiving chemotherapy, I felt extremely fatigued. At times, I couldn't lift my head off my pillow," said Campbell. "I spoke to my doctor about how I was feeling, and after a simple blood test, I was diagnosed with anemia. My doctor prescribed PROCRIT® to treat it. With treatment, my energy increased, and I could go back to doing the things I love. It wasn't long before I could get back on the basketball court."

Anemia is a debilitating condition that occurs when the body does not produce enough red blood cells, which carry oxygen. Oxygen acts like fuel for the body, providing energy for muscles and organs to work. Common symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, decreased ability to concentrate and sleeplessness.

"Patients should talk to their health care professionals about how they're feeling especially if they feel exhausted or can't do everyday tasks. Many patients don't realize that anemia can be treated with medication, such as PROCRIT®," said Dale Theobald, Ph.D., M.D., Quality of Life Program Director, Community Cancer Care.

Exhaustion is most frequent and significant side effect of chemotherapy.

Exhaustion is the most frequent and significant symptom patients experience while undergoing chemotherapy, according to a Harris Interactive® Survey. In fact, 60 percent of cancer patients say that tiredness or exhaustion has had the greatest impact on their daily lives, more than nausea, pain or depression.

More than five in 10 (54 percent) patients who experienced exhaustion report that it prevented or significantly interfered with their ability to accomplish daily activities and seven in 10 (70 percent) say their daily activities are less enjoyable as a result of feeling exhausted. In addition, a majority of patients indicate that they are not well informed about anemia. Fifty percent of cancer patients surveyed indicate that they are only moderately informed about anemia, and 10 percent say they are not at all informed about the condition.

About PROCRIT®

PROCRIT® stimulates red blood cell production and has a protein sequence identical to the body's naturally occurring erythropoietin, which is produced in healthy kidneys. When more red blood cells are produced, more oxygen is carried through the body, which may increase energy levels.

PROCRIT® has been used in more than two million people across four indications and is indicated to treat chemotherapy-related anemia in patients with most types of cancer.

PROCRIT® is proven and safe. PROCRIT® is available by prescription only and is injected by a doctor or nurse. In studies, diarrhea, edema, fever, vomiting, shortness of breath, tingling and upper respiratory infection occurred more often with PROCRIT® than placebo. Although high blood pressure has been noted rarely in cancer patients treated with PROCRIT®, blood pressure should be monitored carefully, particularly in patients with a history of high blood pressure or heart disease.

For full U.S. Prescribing Information and additional information on PROCRIT® and anemia, please refer to the enclosed PI or visit www.procrit.com/oncology/help/pi.html.

About Ortho Biotech Products, L.P.

In 1990, Ortho Biotech Products, L.P. was established in Raritan, NJ. Since that time, Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., and its worldwide affiliates have earned a global reputation for researching, manufacturing and marketing innovative health care products that enhance the quality of patients' lives. Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., now located in Bridgewater, NJ, is an established market leader in Epoetin alfa therapy for anemia management across multiple indications and focuses its research and marketing efforts in four clinical areas: oncology, nephrology, immunology and surgery.

About the Survey

The Harris Interactive® survey results are based on online interviews with a national sample of 231 adults aged 18 and older who suffer from cancer and are either currently undergoing chemotherapy or have undergone chemotherapy within the past 12 months.2

Interviews were conducted from January 10-February 13, 2002. For results based on samples of this size, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects could be plus or minus 6.4 percentage points.3

1 DTC Reference.
2 Harris Interactive® Survey, March 2002, "Anemia of Chronic Illness," p.5.
3 Harris Interactive® Survey, March 2002, "Anemia of Chronic Illness," p.5.

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