Advanced Accelerator Applications Launches “Hope Is Like Air” Campaign in support of NET Cancer Day

Zebra Striped Pinwheels Displayed on November 10 to Raise Awareness of Neuroendocrine Tumors

Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A. (AAA), a Novartis company and leader in nuclear medicine theragnostics, in collaboration with Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) patient organizations around the world, is launching an international campaign, “Hope Is Like Air”, to raise awareness of NET Cancer Day on November 10. The global initiative, which will involve thousands of zebra-striped pinwheels adorning green spaces and special events in the US and Europe, aims to shed light on this rare, often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, form of cancer.

NET patient advocacy groups participating in the Hope Is Like Air pinwheel project include Capital Area Carcinoid Survivors Group (CACS), Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, Healing NET Foundation, Los Angeles Carcinoid Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (LACNETS), Neuroendocrine Cancer Awareness Network (NCAN), Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) Research Foundation, Northern California CarciNET Community (NorCal), and San Diego Orange County Carcinoid NETs in the US; as well as NET Patient Foundation in the UK, APTED of France, A.I.NET Italy, NET Italy, and two groups in Poland - Association of Patients and Supporters of Neuroendocrine Tumors, and Foundation for Endocrinology and Oncological Endocrinology (Pro Endocrinology) of Krakow.

“Due to the rare nature of NETs, and the broad range of symptoms that may or may not be expressed by individuals with the disease, patients may go years without receiving an accurate diagnosis,” said Susanne Schaffert, Ph.D., President of Advanced Accelerator Applications. “These delays often leave patients feeling isolated and in search of hope, which can be as essential to survival, as the air we breathe. Our goal is to raise awareness of NETs in communities around the world and generate a breath of hope for patients and their loved ones.”

Zebra stripes are the symbol of neuroendocrine tumors, meant to signify the individuality of each patient and their disease, as well as encourage medical professionals to consider diagnoses beyond the most common ones. As the disease is rare and often overlooked, the neuroendocrine tumor community encourages healthcare providers to metaphorically consider the rare and unexpected possibility of a zebra, not a common horse, when they hear hoofbeats.

About Neuroendocrine Tumors¹

Neuroendocrine tumors, or NETs, are a rare type of cancer that originate in neuroendocrine cells throughout the body. They are most often found in the gastrointestinal tract, lungs or pancreas. Each year 6.98 out of every 100,000 people are diagnosed with NETs². NETs can be defined as functional or nonfunctional. Functional NETs are characterized by symptoms caused by the over-secretion of hormones and other substances, while nonfunctional NETs may be clinically silent.

Symptoms often appear once the tumor produces hormones or grows into surrounding tissues and organs. Non-specific signs and symptoms of NETs include, but are not limited to, abdominal pain, asthma-like wheezing, diarrhea, fatigue, flushing, nausea, weight loss, and unusual bleeding.

NETs tend to grow slowly and can have no symptoms or vague symptoms that can be mistaken for other conditions. As a result, NETs are often diagnosed at an advanced stage, meaning the cancer cells have already spread to other parts of the body.

Disclaimer

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About Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A.

Advanced Accelerator Applications, a Novartis company, is an innovative radiopharmaceutical company developing, producing and commercializing radioligand theragnostics. AAA is an established leader in radiopharmaceuticals for Positron Emission tomography (PET) and Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) diagnostic imaging, mainly used in clinical oncology, cardiology and neurology. For more information, please visit: https://www.adacap.com/.

References

Contact:

Advanced Accelerator Applications
Rachel Levine
+1 212 235 2395 (direct)
+1 917 375 2935 (mobile)
[email protected]

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