On 1 March 2018, the educational campaign 'My almost normal life', organised by the Polish Stoma Society POL-ILKO, was launched on social media! It included videos featuring people who have colorectal cancer. In them, patients talk about their lives, which are... almost NORMAL. The aim of the campaign is not only to educate the public, but also to reach out to all those who are fighting the disease and have lost hope for a normal life.
Every day as many as 33 people die in Poland from colorectal cancer. According to data from the National Cancer Registry, the number of new cases of colorectal cancer in our country is around 18 000. Poland thus belongs to
among the countries with the highest incidence of colorectal cancer in the whole of Europe.
Among the main causes of its development, specialists include: poor diet, lack of physical activity, alcohol abuse, smoking and abnormal body weight. Lack of regular preventive examinations also plays an important role. In Poland, first- and second-line treatment, including innovative drugs, is available for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. For patients who have exhausted the possibilities of first- and second-line therapy, access to the next, third line of treatment is limited. Fourth-line therapy does not exist in Poland, despite its presence in European recommendations and clinical experience indicating that these drugs offer a chance of longer life for patients with advanced disease.
By the time colorectal cancer is diagnosed, one in three patients is already diagnosed with metastases. The disease is considered embarrassing. This is why patients decide too late to undergo examinations and, consequently, treatment. After all, the earlier the cancer is detected, the better the chances of survival or even a permanent cure!
Action "My almost normal life". aims to educate the public and help patients who are struggling with the disease. It has produced films featuring #Agnieszka and #Grzegorz. Ordinary people, working, playing sports, enjoying life and ... suffering from #rakjelitagruby at the same time. Through their stories, they want to support other sufferers and prove to everyone that cancer is not a sentence and it is possible to lead an almost normal life. The films will be available on the channel YouTube of the Polish Stoma Society Pol-ilko and profile Facebook.
Other social media pages related to medical, oncology and health topics will be invited to join the campaign.
Let's share the material further! This is our strength in the fight against #rakjelitagruby!
POLISH STOMA SOCIETY POL-ILKO
The campaign is organised by the Polish Stoma Association POL-ILKO, which began its activities in 1987. Since then, it has continuously helped people with stomas to live with dignity despite their illness. To this end, it pursues an appropriate information, training and prevention policy.
(source: campaign press materials)