When Words Fail ... Cancer Patients Unite to Express Their Journeys on Canvas

Lilly Oncology on Canvas(SM) Announces 2008 Call for Entries for International Art Competition and Exhibition 


PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 15  /PRNewswire/ -- When words fail, expressing a thought or feeling through art can liberate, lend support and offer strength. To aid in the development of these important intangibles and pay tribute to the millions affected by cancer, Eli Lilly and Company opens the 2008 Lilly Oncology on Canvas(SM): Expressions of a Cancer Journey International Art Competition and Exhibition.  The call for entries was announced at the opening of a Lilly Oncology on Canvas exhibit at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.  This marks the third biennial competition that continues to provide people around the world the opportunity to express visually and in narrative the emotions and experiences that define the cancer journey.

"When we launched Lilly Oncology on Canvas in 2004, we hoped to create an international forum for those affected by cancer to express the hopes and fears that come with a cancer diagnosis," said Richard Gaynor, M.D., vice president, cancer research and global oncology platform leader for Lilly. "With over 43 countries participating in the last competition, we are proud of the legacy that this program has created, especially in highlighting the importance of treating the whole patient. Ultimately, our goal is to listen and offer hope to all those who have been affected by cancer."

Fox Chase is hosting an exhibit, which is open to the public, from November 15 - 30, 2007.  Lilly Oncology on Canvas is presented in the United States by Lilly, in partnership with the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS).  The call for entries occurs during National Lung Cancer Awareness Month.  In 2007, the American Cancer Society estimates that 213,380 Americans will be newly diagnosed and 160,390 Americans will succumb to lung cancer, resulting in more deaths each year than breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer combined.(i)

"As oncologists, we do our best to provide our patients the latest, most successful therapeutic options," said Corey J. Langer, M.D., Medical Director of Thoracic Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.  "The Lilly Oncology on Canvas art collection speaks to our responsibility to support our patients emotionally during their battle with cancer.  The artwork depicts the journeys undertaken by those with a variety of cancers, including the frequently overlooked journeys of lung cancer patients, who may feel stigmatized by their illness."

The 2006 competition saw more than 2,000 pieces of art entered from 43 countries, culminating in two finale events and exhibitions.  One held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City, hosted by Regis Philbin, and the other at the Royal College of Art in London, England.

The 2006 'Best of the United States' winner was the photograph "This is Not a Dress Rehearsal," by Anne Wilson of Morganton, North Carolina.  The photograph features Wilson's late daughter Katherine just seven months after Katherine, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 23.  The photograph portrays a smiling Katherine and her dad playfully removing their hats to display their bald heads - Katherine's from her cancer treatments and her dad's a result of his sympathetic shaving.  Following her diagnosis, Katherine not only earned her nursing degree, but was also inducted into The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.  In addition, Katherine traveled extensively with friends and family who considered her an inspiration.  In February 2005, Katherine succumbed to her illness, five years after diagnosis, at the age of 28.

"I am honored to be in Philadelphia to help kick off the third Lilly Oncology on Canvas competition," said Wilson. "With this photograph touring the world with Lilly Oncology on Canvas, I feel like Katherine's legacy lives on, and I encourage all those impacted by cancer to think about the legacy they want to build and to take that photograph or paint that picture."

More than 10 million individuals currently living in the U.S. have, at one time, heard the alarming news that they have cancer.  As those individuals went on a cancer journey, so did their oncologists, nurses, family members, friends and caregivers.  On behalf of those 10 million individuals, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship has been a partner on Lilly Oncology on Canvas from the competition's origins.

"We look at Lilly Oncology on Canvas as an expression of survivorship," said Ellen Stovall, president and CEO of NCCS.  "We are proud to continue our association with the program."

The art from the 2006 Lilly Oncology on Canvas is currently on a world tour, inspiring and lending hope to the cancer journey.  To date, the tour has made 175 stops at cancer centers, hospitals, physician offices and advocacy groups throughout the world.

"We would like to thank our partner the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship and Fox Chase Cancer Center for hosting the exhibit and for their commitment to progress in cancer care," said Lilly's Dr. Gaynor.

The Competition - Lilly Oncology on Canvas

All entries for the 2008 competition must be received by the U.S. Art Director no later than June 30, 2008.  Entries can be from any of six different art media: oil; watercolor; acrylic; photography; pastel; and mixed media (any other type of one-dimensional art).  Submitted artwork must be at least 12" x 12" and no larger than 17" x 26".  There are three participant categories from which people can enter the competition: person diagnosed with cancer; health care professional (e.g., doctor, nurse, pharmacist, lab technician, etc.); and family member, friend or caregiver.

An independent panel of judges, comprised of the art director, cancer survivors, leading oncologists, journalists and representatives from patient advocacy groups will select three top prize winners in the global competition. The global prize winners will be awarded prize money to be donated directly to a cancer charity of their choice: 1st prize - $10,000, 2nd prize - $5,000 and 3rd prize - $2,500 (for winners outside of the U.S., the prize will be awarded in the local currency equivalent).  Additionally, the global competition will select winners from each medium and participant category, with the winners awarded the equivalent of $1,000.

Additionally, prizes will be awarded to the top three entries from the U.S.  Winners will be awarded prize money to be donated directly to a cancer charity of their choice: 1st prize - $10,000, 2nd prize - $5,000 and 3rd prize - $2,500.  The competition is subject to applicable laws and regulations.

For more information about the Lilly Oncology on Canvas International Art Competition and Exhibition or to obtain an entry form and contest criteria please call [phone].

National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)

NCCS is the oldest survivor-led cancer advocacy organization in the country and a highly respected authentic voice at the federal level, advocating for quality cancer care for all Americans and empowering cancer survivors.  For more information about NCCS and its advocacy for quality cancer care, please visit http://www.canceradvocacy.org/ or call 1.877.NCCS.YES.

Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC)

Fox Chase Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit institution formed in 1974 by the union of American Oncologic Hospital (the nation's first cancer hospital, established in 1904) and the Institute for Cancer Research (founded in 1927). Fox Chase is one of the few facilities in the country devoted entirely to cancer care. Fox Chase is also involved in developing trials to test new agents that may prevent cancer in high-risk individuals. Combining research in many disciplines with patient care enables Fox Chase to translate new research findings into medical applications that may become models for improved cancer care.

Lilly Oncology, a Division of Eli Lilly and Company

For more than four decades, Lilly Oncology has been collaborating with cancer researchers to deliver innovative treatment choices and valuable programs to patients and physicians worldwide.  Inspired by the courageous patients living with cancer, Lilly Oncology is providing treatments that are considered global standards of care and developing a broad portfolio of novel targeted therapies to accelerate the pace and progress of cancer care.  To learn more about Lilly's commitment to cancer, please visit http://www.lillyoncology.com/.

Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of first-in-class and best-in-class pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.  Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, Lilly provides answers - through medicines and information - for some of the world's most urgent medical needs.

(1) American Cancer Society, "What Are the Key Statistics About Lung Cancer?", October 15, 2007. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1x_What_Are_the_Key_Statisti cs_About_Lung_Cancer_15.asp?sitearea=. Accessed October 30, 2007.

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