##  [Beyond Breast Cancer: Making Lived Experiences More Visible](/us-en/stories/camp-breastie-breast-cancer-women-lived-experiences "Beyond Breast Cancer: Making Lived Experiences More Visible") 

 [Hope](/us-en/taxonomy/term/51)

 

 

#  Beyond Breast Cancer: Making Lived Experiences More Visible 

Breast cancer doesn’t stop when treatment ends. For many, its most enduring challenges remain under recognized and undiscussed. Through *Letters Between Us* and ongoing community engagement, Novartis is sharing real patient stories to highlight the power of community connection and inspire strength in others.

In *Letters Between Us*, people impacted by breast cancer wrote letters about what they had learned since a breast cancer diagnosis. Learn more about their experience at Camp Breastie, a community-based organization.



 

 Sep 28, 2026 

For many people impacted by breast cancer, the experience does not end when treatment ends. Questions about recurrence, identity, and what comes next often persist, yet remain less visible.

These deeply personal realities shape how life beyond a breast cancer diagnosis is navigated, though they are not often discussed or fully understood.

The Breasties, a community-driven organization supporting all people impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers, brings these experiences to life through programming like Camp Breastie. The annual event brings together hundreds of community members across a wide range of backgrounds and experiences for a weekend of education, connection, and support.

This year, attendees were able to experience *Letters Between Us,* a letter writing exhibit that creates a space for people to see and reflect on patient stories that mirror their own.

 ![Letter Capture, Letters Between Us](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2026-09/letters-capture-breasties-camp.jpg.webp?itok=648Lu41i "Letter Capture, Letters Between Us")

 

*Photos courtesy of The Breasties and Girl Squad Media (@girlsquadmedia)*### Making Breast Cancer More Visible 

*Letters Between Us* invited people living with early-stage and metastatic disease, those navigating a genetic risk of getting breast cancer, and caregivers to share letters written in their own words. Their reflections highlight the emotional and physical realities of breast cancer, including the possibility of recurrence and the complexity of life beyond treatment.

One of our letter writers in attendance at Camp Breastie, Brooklyn, 33, wrote about her initial shock at the whirlwind of diagnosis and treatment.

“Dear Brooklyn, I know you’re terrified right now, and it’s okay to feel that way,” she wrote, and advised her younger self: “The fear of recurrence will hang over you, but it won’t control you forever… You’re stronger than you think.”

> *The fear of recurrence will hang over you, but it won’t control you forever… You’re stronger than you think.*
> 
> *— Brooklyn*

For Michelle, 40, a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis sharpened her perspective on living a life with purpose, advocating for others, and making every moment count.

“Never the one to smell my own flowers, I understood that my illness wasn’t just a negative part of my life, but a gift. Living with stage 4 breast cancer is a constant reminder that time should not be wasted,” Michelle reflects, “The fight is a marathon, and I am running for everyone in my community.”

> *This fight is a marathon, and I am running for everyone in my community.*
> 
> *— Michelle*

Together, these voices underscore a shared reality: breast cancer continues well past diagnosis and treatment, shaping how people feel about their bodies, their futures, and their place in the world.

 ![Two women smiling together at Camp Breastie.](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2026-09/two-women-smiling-together-at-camp-breastie.jpg.webp?itok=br0zhthf "Two women smiling together at Camp Breastie.")

 

### Listening and Understanding the Breast Cancer Experience 

*Letters Between Us* is one way Novartis is helping bring greater visibility to what it means to live with breast cancer, offering an unfiltered view into the many dimensions of breast cancer, including the realities that can continue after treatment ends.

Through our work with advocacy partners and the patient community, we’ve learned:

- The breast cancer experience carries emotional complexity at every stage. Honoring the range of emotions, including the vulnerability, fear, pride, and purpose, is a constant challenge and symbol of strength.
- Community can help transform isolation into connection. Shared experiences around relationships, fertility, survivorship, and realities of recurrence can create space for reflection, support and healing.
- Self-advocacy can play a critical role in navigating care. While it can feel overwhelming, asking questions, seeking a second opinion, and trusting one’s instincts can help patients feel more confident and in control.

Since being introduced in 2024, *Letters Between Us* has expanded to include more than 25 stories from individuals across the United States.

> *Letters Between Us is an embodiment of our mission to support and improve cancer experiences through connection and community.*
> 
> — Paige More, Co-Founder, The Breasties

At Camp Breastie, the installation became a space for connection and reflection. Attendees read, reflected, and saw their own experiences in the stories of others, which is something many noted is not always possible.

“*Letters Between Us* is an embodiment of our mission to support and improve cancer experiences through connection and community,” says Paige More, Co-Founder, The Breasties.

 ![By the Community, for the Community](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2026-09/connection.jpg.webp?itok=anPBPSV2 "By the Community, for the Community")

 

### A Broader Commitment to the Breast Cancer Community

For more than 30 years, Novartis has been committed to advancing breast cancer care through collaboration and advocacy. Meaningful progress starts with understanding the real-world experiences and unmet needs of people impacted by breast cancer.

This work generates a deeper understanding of the patient experience. These insights help inform how Novartis approaches education, advocacy, and support for the community.

Together, these efforts reflect a commitment to ensuring patient perspectives help shape the future and improve care.

### By the Community, for the Community

Breast cancer does not begin or end at diagnosis. It is an experience that can span screening, treatment, and survivorship, including ongoing physical and emotional challenges. Supporting patients means recognizing these actualities and creating spaces where they can be shared.

“The breast cancer experience is incredibly unique to the individual, but one universal truth is that the journey extends far beyond diagnosis,” says Geraldine Carroll, Director, Breast Cancer & Hematology, US Patient Advocacy “It’s a journey that spans from screening through survivorship. *Letters Between Us* was formed as a direct acknowledgement of this reality.”

As *Letters Between Us,* and Novartis*,* continue to engage with the patient community to understand their lived experience, we remain focused on our goal: making the realities of breast cancer more visible, better understood, and more clearly reflected in how breast cancer is discussed.

 ![Group of women posing together at Camp Breastie beside an inspirational sign.](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/styles/crop_freeform/public/2026-09/group-of-women-posing-together-at-Camp-Breastie.jpg.webp?itok=8X7HHuJn "Group of women posing together at Camp Breastie beside an inspirational sign.")

 

### Explore More from *Letters Between Us*

Learn from a selection of our *Letters Between Us* authors about their lived experience:

- [Brooklyn](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/Brooklyn.pdf "Brooklyn.pdf")
- [Michelle](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/Michelle.pdf "Michelle.pdf")
- [Sally](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/Sally.pdf "Sally.pdf")
- [Martha](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/Martha.pdf "Martha.pdf")
- [Ciara](/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/Ciara.pdf "Ciara.pdf")

And a special thank you to the patients and patient advocacy groups whose insights, guidance and partnership helped shape this initiative from the ground up, ensuring this work is informed by, and created for, the community.

*Novartis was a sponsor of Camp Breastie. The patients featured in the Letters Between Us exhibit have been compensated for their time by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.*