South African and Australian reporters named winners of annual Luminous Award INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Luminous Award was created by Lilly to honor "enlightened, intelligent and inspiring" reporting in the field of oncology. Eli Lilly and Company is proud to present the 2006 Luminous Award to South African journalist Toni Younghusband of Shape magazine for her article entitled "My Chance for Life" detailing a 25 year-old woman's decision to have a double mastectomy following genetic testing that led to the identification of a gene that causes breast cancer. The second place Luminous Award goes to Jill Margo, reporter with The Australian Financial Review, for her weekly account of a local businessman's struggle with prostate cancer that was overcome successfully because of the importance he placed on good health and pre-screening. The announcement of the award winners coincides with the 31st European Society for Medical Oncology Congress currently taking place in Istanbul, Turkey. With cancer as the third leading cause of death worldwide, Lilly is quickly emerging as a leader in cancer care to address unmet patient needs. "We received 120 entries into the Luminous Award from journalists in 16 countries, and many of the articles submitted detail very moving accounts of cancer journeys from the patient's perspective. We want to congratulate the journalists covering these stories for their professionalism in dealing with this disease and thank the patients who have been impacted by cancer for the courage to share their personal accounts. There is no question their stories have inspired and made a difference in the lives of others sharing the same experience," said Garry Nicholson, platform leader, Lilly Oncology. "The quality of the entries received this year was exceptionally high, with significant emphasis on cancer prevention," said John Stubbs, chairman of advocacy group Cancer Voices, Australia and a competition judge. "The growing interest in the competition is indicative of the public's growing interest in cancer." The Luminous Award independent judging panel is composed of judges from all over the world and, in addition to Stubbs, included Madame Monique de St Jean, co-president of the Federation Nationale des Comites Feminins de Lutte Contre le Cancer, France; Takeo Sekihara, board of the Japanese Cancer Society, Japan; Jaime G. de la Garza, M.D., research physician, National Institute of Cancerology (INCAN), Mexico; Dolores Isla, M.D., Lozano Blesa Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain; and Maggie Hampshire, managing editor, OncoLink, United States. In addition to giving awards to the global winners, Lilly also presented two highly commended certificates to journalists from Japan and Hungary for their contributions to the Luminous Award. Japanese journalist Kenichi Hanioka was recognized for his article titled "Big Gaps of Cancer Survival Rates in Japanese Hospitals; Save 40,000 people a year by fundamental reforms" calling for an improved standardization of care across Japanese hospitals following the introduction of the Cancer Act. The second highly commended certificate went to Hungarian journalist Zsofia Tamassy, for her ground-breaking article in Wellness magazine titled "It can Happen to You," showcasing through provocative photographs and personal accounts the journeys of ordinary women diagnosed with breast cancer, something never done previously in the Hungarian media. The winner of the Luminous Award is given a choice of one of two prizes. The first choice is the opportunity to be enlightened by the work of a leading oncologist or cancer researcher in either Boston, London, New York, Paris or Sydney on a seven day-trip for two people. The second choice is a cash donation of 10,000 Euro to be made in the form of a scholarship in the winner's name, to help a student continue his or her studies to become a journalist and enlighten others through his/her work. The runner-up also is given the choice of one of two prizes, the first option being the opportunity to be enlightened by the work of a leading oncologist or cancer researcher in New York or London, on a five-day trip for two. The second option is a cash donation of 5,000 Euro to be made in the form of a scholarship. The international Luminous Award competition was open this year to journalists reporting for newspapers, consumer magazines, newsletters, websites and broadcast outlets. Entries are judged on a series of criteria including news value, the ability to stimulate awareness about advances in oncology, effective communication for the intended audience, and creativity. About 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. About 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, Ind., Lilly provides answers -- through medicines and information -- for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. O-LLY (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO ) http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20031219/LLYLOGO DATASOURCE: Eli Lilly and Company CONTACT: Christine Van Marter (Lilly), +1-317-651-1473, , of Eli Lilly and Company

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