From Head to the Hill to #BTVoice: Brain Tumor Awareness Month Recap

Brain Tumor Awareness Month (BTAM) is an opportunity to educate the public about brain tumors on behalf of the 700,000 diagnosed and their families. This year, National Brain Tumor Society leveraged the focus on BTAM to share research, policy and resources with the community, as well as invite our community to share its own experiences and knowledge in return. The results were overwhelmingly positive.

Head to the Hill
135 advocates from 30 states came to Capitol Hill to urge Congress to support legislation for oral chemotherapy parity, re-affirm their commitment to medical research, and push for more funds for pediatric cancer research. The advocacy efforts of the community resulted in a number of new legislators signing on to co-sponsors the bills we asked for their support on. The continued actions of the brain tumor community has successfully kept our issues in the public consciousness.

Community Chat
National Brain Tumor Society held its first Community Video Chat on May 22, 2014, focusing on the resource Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Brain Tumors, as well as other brain tumor initiatives. Chat participants asked research, support, care, and general brain tumor questions to our panel of experts.

#BTVoice
From May 18 to 31, we asked the brain tumor community to share their experiences, advice, and knowledge using the hashtag #BTVoice on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or to submit them via our site. The results were an outstanding success! With nearly 100 #BTVoice submissions, ranging from medical experiences to self-care, the community rallied around the campaign. We created shareable graphics, called infosnaps, from some of the advice submitted.

> View the collected infosnaps of the #BTVoice campaign on our Facebook page

Support for Defeat GBM and Other Program Initiatives

The Defeat GBM initiative captured the attention of the entire community, as mentioned above, and we thank everyone for helping to spread the world about this important program that aims to double the five-year survival rate of GBM patients – in just five years. In addition, during the Community Chat, many participants asked about research and our other initiatives.

Your call for more research findings and information related to treatment options throughout BTAM provided us with much-needed information on what you would like to know more about from us.

On behalf of the National Brain Tumor Society, thank you for your participation, your willingness to share your experiences, and your tireless efforts to help spread the word about new research and continue the search for new treatments. We will use this information to plan and develop engaging materials about research findings and brain tumor information throughout the year so that you receive the information you desire.

Steven LaFond
Social Media Manager, National Brain Tumor Society

TAGGED WITH: BTAM, Community Chats

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