Chugai News Releases are issued to provide stakeholders with the most up-to-date information related to our company. In some instances, information on products or drug candidates under development may be included, but this is intended for members of the media, shareholders, and investors. The information is not intended for promotional or advertising purposes, or as medical advice, etc.

Sep 07, 2020

Online Disease Awareness Activity for Better Understanding Breast Cancer at TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION

-- A bottom-up project based on an employee’s idea to achieve SDGs --

  • Setting up an online virtual exhibition at TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION to raise awareness of breast cancer
  • A bottom-up project based on a spontaneous idea from an employee to achieve SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in line with the company’s goal of “Creation of shared value between Chugai and Society”

TOKYO, September 7, 2020 -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) announced the implementation of the disease awareness activity for better understanding of breast cancer with a virtual exhibition booth during “The 31st Mynavi TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION 2020 AUTUMN/WINTER ONLINE” on September 5, 2020 to be delivered online.

TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION is a fashion festival which has been held twice a year since August 2005, under the theme of “Deliver Girls’ Culture Born in Japan to the World.” The event features a fashion show by Japan’s leading models and live music performances by star artists, and has gained the support of many young women who are the leaders of the girls’ culture. Although TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION 2020 AUTUMN/WINTER ONLINE was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic this time, the event offered fashion shows taking advantage of cutting-edge technologies, as well as new initiatives only possible on online.

Under the concept that “change the recognition of self-checking for breast cancer and cancer screening among young women to alter their behavior,” Chugai hosted a virtual exhibition booth for TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION 2020 AUTUMN/WINTER ONLINE, titled “Pink Ribbon House; Let’s Consider the Future Me!,” on September 5. Chugai hopes to help young women gain a correct understanding of breast cancer, as well as increase the rate of breast cancer screening in Japan, by delivering participant experience- and empathy-based friendly contents through the first collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry and TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION 2020 AUTUMN/WINTER ONLINE.

Virtual exhibition booth: Pink Ribbon House; Let’s Consider Future Me! https://ribbon-house.com

[Features]

  • Providing a place to learn while having fun by posting contents to acquire basic knowledge that is useful for practicing Breast Awareness, the daily lifestyle being conscious of your breast
  • In order to promote information dissemination by the participants themselves, enhancing affinity with SNS by linking with smartphone applications that are popular among young people
  • A project based on an idea from an employee selected in “The Chugai SDGs Contest” held as part of Chugai’s commitment to achieving SDGs

[Planned Screen Image]

Originator’s Comment: “Chugai × Girls’ Culture; Let’s Consider the Future Me Now!!”
Rieko Kurumi, Hokkaido Branch, Hokkaido and Tohoku Regional Management Office

The rate of breast cancer screening in Japanese women is at the lowest level among developed countries.1) Decrease in the working population due to death by cancer and separation from work for cancer treatment have become a social issue. Some of the reasons for the low rate of screening may include insufficient knowledge, indifference, and fear for cancer screening and self-checking. Visiting medical institutions as a medical representative, I have noticed the delay in disease detection and the start of treatment in many patients, which gave me an idea of the awareness activity targeted at young women who are difficult to approach through usual disease awareness events.

To raise awareness and change the behavior among young women, I planned an exhibition at TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION which is the source of new trends. In the virtual exhibition booth, participant experience- and empathy-based contents for awareness will be introduced to create a positive image for self-checking and cancer screening. I expect the information provided through SNS by the participants may also have a ripple effect among other people and their mothers and grandmothers over generations. Because sharing the importance of breast cancer screening by the participants who are daughter generations after this event, will also be felt by mothers and grandmothers who are generations prone to breast cancer. I hope that the project creates a trend that people routinely do self-checking and receive cancer screening, and changes the existing understanding of self-checking and cancer screening for breast cancer among young women and helps to alter their behaviors. Also, I would like to contribute to create shared value by Chugai and Society.

Reference
About the circumstances of breast cancer in Japan
In Japan, 92,200 women (2019 predicted value) are estimated to be afflicted with breast cancer each year. 15,100 women in Japan (2019 predicted value) die as a result of the disease.2) A survey showed that the breast cancer screening rate for Japanese women aged 40 to 69 is 44.9% (2016 survey).3) “Breast Awareness,” a lifestyle habit of being aware of one’s own breast, has recently been advocated and is a very important lifestyle for women that leads to early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer.4) The Breast Awareness recommendation is expected to become a concrete and efficient measure for the early detection of juvenile breast cancer and to become another pillar of breast cancer healthcare policy along with breast cancer screening.5)

About Chugai SDGs Contest
In consideration of “Creation of shared value by Chugai and Society,” which is the basic policy of Chugai’s mid-term business plan, IBI 21, a cross-functional task force was established in 2019 to promote understanding among the employees to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From August 2019, the company held “The 1st Chugai SDGs Contest” as part of the above initiatives, in which a wide variety of ideas offering solutions for social issues or bringing new value to society, were invited in the form of a contest. As a result, 241 entries were received from Japan and abroad. The disease awareness activity to be implemented at TOKYO GIRLS COLLECTION 2020 AUTUMN/WINTER ONLINE is based on the proposal shortlisted in the contest, which is titled; “Chugai × Girls’ Culture; Let’s Consider the Future Me Now!!” The project was finally realized after plenty of discussions and collaboration between the originator and relevant departments to embody the idea amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources

  1. Low screening rate in Japan, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare [Internet; cited August, 2020] Available from: https://www.gankenshin50.mhlw.go.jp/campaign_27/outline/low.html
  2. Project Cancer Statistics, 2019. Cancer Information Service, National Cancer Center, Japan. [Internet; cited August, 2020] Available from: https://ganjoho.jp/reg_stat/statistics/stat/short_pred.html
  3. Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions, 2016, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare [Internet; cited August, 2020] Available from: https://www.gankenshin50.mhlw.go.jp/campaign_2019/outline/low.html
  4. Clinical practice guidelines for patients with breast cancer, Japanese Breast Cancer Society [Internet; cited August, 2020] Available from: http://jbcs.gr.jp/guidline/p2019/guidline/g2/q5/
  5. Journal of Japan Association of Breast Cancer Screening [Internet; cited August, 2020] Available from: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jjabcs/29/1/29_27/_article/-char/ja/

Contact:

  • For Media
  • Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
  • Media Relations Group, Corporate Communications Dept.,
  • Tomoko Shimizu
  • Tel: +81-3-3273-0881
  • E-mail: pr@chugai-pharm.co.jp
  • For Investors
  • Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
  • Investor Relations Group, Corporate Communications Dept.,
  • Toshiya Sasai
  • Tel: +81-3-3273-0554
  • E-mail: ir@chugai-pharm.co.jp
  • Like
  • Post
  • LINE it!
  • E-mail
Back to top