2007 Luminous Award Winners Highlight Ovarian Cancer Treatment and the Importance of Early Detection

2007 Luminous Award Winners Highlight Ovarian Cancer Treatment and the Importance of Early Detection

October 31, 2007

German and British reporters named winners of annual
Luminous Award


    INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- One
woman's courageous battle to find the best treatment to
fight her ovarian cancer is the subject of the winning
entry in the 2007 Luminous Award.  Launched by Eli Lilly
and Company in 2006, the annual award was created to
recognise journalists who bring to light progress in cancer
prevention and treatment and enlighten their audiences
through clear and inspiring reporting.  Winners are
selected by an independent panel of judges from around the
world. 

    Eli Lilly and Company is proud to present the 2007
Luminous Award to German journalist Sabine Thor-Wiedemann
from the publication Brigitte -- Germany's leading women's
magazine.  The award is for her feature entitled
"Survival of the Luckiest," which details a
woman's determination to beat the disease against all odds.
 The article also highlights the need for patients to have
access to treatments that meet an international standard. 


    Second place in the competition also went to an article
focusing on ovarian cancer.  The award was presented to
Simon Crompton of the U.K. from The Times' health
supplement Body & Soul. His article, "The Silent
Killer," examined the benefit of a simple screening
tool and ongoing research that could lead to early
detection, better treatment and improved survival for
thousands of women with ovarian cancer.
  
    Overall, the winning articles seek to enlighten the
public about ovarian cancer with the hope that increased
awareness and screening options will empower women to take
action against this deadly disease.  Even though survival
rates have improved over recent years, less than 40 percent
of women with ovarian cancer survive the first five years
after diagnosis, compared with nearly 80 percent of breast
cancer patients.(1)  Although survival depends on early
diagnosis and treatment, ovarian cancer is usually
difficult to detect and as such often arrives unnoticed.  

    John Stubbs, chairman of Cancer Voices Australia and
spokesperson for the international Luminous Award judging
panel, commented that the standard of the entries for this
year's competition was particularly high.  "Ten
finalists from eight countries highlighted the impact that
cancer has on people and their desire to bring important
and significant elements to the public domain," Stubbs
said.  "We congratulate all finalists on their articles
and their dedication to responsible cancer reporting."


    In addition to the global winners, Lilly also presented
two Highly Commended certificates to journalists from Spain
and Japan. Spanish journalist Mayka Sanchez from El Pais,
one of Spain's major national newspapers, was recognized
for her article titled "A Very Personal Therapy"
outlining the great importance of molecular diagnosis in
cancer and personalized cancer treatment.  The second
Highly Commended certificate went to Japanese journalist
Hidetoshi Oshima from the publication Mainichi Shimbun, for
his article "Drilling Down on Asbestos Issues,"
which included personal accounts from people who had lost
family members to mesothelioma after working in a factory,
and highlighted the seriousness of asbestos exposure.

    "The Luminous Award has grown into a truly global
event, with more than 70 entries received this year from
journalists working in 11 countries," said Garry
Nicholson, leader of the Lilly Oncology global brand
development team.  "This competition is part of Lilly
Oncology's commitment to go beyond medicine and to provide
support in its broadest sense to people with cancer and
their families.  The Luminous Award recognizes journalists
who really make a difference by providing people with
quality information and stories of hope that can inspire
and give people with cancer the strength to continue
fighting."

    The independent judging panel for the Luminous Award
was comprised of judges from all over the world and, in
addition to Stubbs, chairman of Cancer Voices Australia,
the panel included Jaime G. de la Garza, M.D., research
physician, National Institute of Cancerology, Mexico;
Dolores Isla, M.D., Lozano Blesa Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain;
Viktoria Kun J, award-winning healthcare journalist with the
leading Hungarian national daily newspaper, Nepszabadsag,
Hungary; Takeo Sekihara, board member of the Japanese
Cancer Society, Japan; Nicole Zernik, president of the
French Forum of Europa Donna, the European Breast Cancer
Coalition and vice president of the European Organization,
France; and Maggie Hampshire, managing editor, OncoLink,
United States.

    The winner and runner-up of the Luminous Award is given
the choice of one of two prizes; either the opportunity to
be enlightened by the work of a leading oncologist or
cancer researcher or a cash donation to be made in the form
of a scholarship in the winner's name, to help a student
continue his/her studies to become a journalist and
enlighten others through his/her work.  By being given the
opportunity to either meet a leading oncologist or cancer
researcher, or provide a scholarship, the enlightenment
will continue for the winner and runner-up either
personally or through the future work of a student
journalist.

    The international 2007 Luminous Award competition was
open to business reporters or general/consumer journalists
reporting for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, websites
and broadcast outlets as well as medical journalists
writing for health, pharmaceutical and medical trade
publications.  Entries are judged on a series of criteria
including news value, the ability to stimulate awareness
about advances in oncology prevention and treatment,
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

    (1) The Office for National Statistics.  One- and
five-year survival
        of patients diagnosed between 1996-1999: Major
cancers, sex and
        age, England and Wales. Available at
http://www.statistics.gov.uk  
        (accessed on 3 October 2007).

    (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070601/CLF003LOGO )


    For more information, please contact:

     Amy Sousa 
     Eli Lilly and Company
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]
  
     Jean Perkins 
     CPR Worldwide
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]