Luminous Award Winners Highlight the Importance of Genetic Testing and Pre-Screening for Potential Cancers
03 October 2006 - 11:00PM
PR Newswire (US)
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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