Don’t write me off!
“Don't write me off!” is a long-term awareness campaign about metastatic breast cancer (mBC). It presents information to improve public awareness but above all it draws attention to the need to improve the quality of healthcare and social care for patients.
The campaign is run by ONKO Unie, a Czech patient organization specializing in onco-gynecological diseases. It is based on verified data, connects experts and patients and combines communication and patient advocacy. Pfizer is a long term strategic partner of ONKO Unie, providing funding, expertise, mentoring and introducing the organization to local, European and Global Pfizer hosted events. The campaign has received a number of awards for being the most creative, impactful and effective PR/PA campaign in the Czech healthcare domain.
Before 2016, awareness of palliative care for metastatic breast cancer was low in the Czech Republic. ONKO Unie decided to change that. Their campaign reached the awareness of a wide range of stakeholders and was also recognized by Public Relations professionals for its effectiveness and innovation.
The campaign successfully addressed the problems of mBC patients such as low quality of life and stigmatization. It significantly increased the confidence of mBC patients to talk openly about their disease.
The impact of the campaign was verified with a survey among breast cancer patients and the general population. Basic knowledge about the metastatic phase among patients with breast cancer rose from 62% in 2016 to 74% in 2021. Confidence among mBC patients to talk openly about their disease rose from 48% to 64%.
