The new year will herald a new phase of the #ThisIsMBC campaign to educate, inspire and raise awareness of metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Each year since 2017, the campaign has unveiled a new initiative with a unique theme.

The 2023 initiative, titled “Imagine,” will officially launch in January, though it debuted this month at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS2022). Through videos and portraits, “Imagine” will spotlight 12 people living with MBC as they share both their struggles and their dreams. Past initiatives have revolved around such themes as serenity and perseverance, among others.

#ThisIsMBC is a collaboration between global pharmaceutical company Eisai and METAvivor, a nonprofit group dedicated to metastatic breast cancer.

“Imagine” also welcomes people living with MBC to share their challenges and experiences with the disease as they imagine their hopes for the future and how they plan to live every day to the fullest.

“The #ThisIsMBC Imagine campaign addresses how the landscape of MBC is constantly evolving, as are the patients in the community,” said Jamil Rivers, president of METAvivor, in a statement. “Imagine being diagnosed with this horrible disease, feeling isolation and fear—all of a sudden your life has forever changed, and then you meet inspirational women who can relate to, and validate all, your feelings.”

Rivers continued: “Now, Imagine feeling empowered to move forward in life, living the best life you can, while you can, despite your terminal diagnosis. That’s what these women are doing and I couldn’t be more proud to help them share their stories.”

To bring the colorful campaign to life, Eisai Inc. and METAvivor worked with Beth Fairchild, co-founder and co-director at #CancerCulture.*

Cheryl Law, MD, who is living with MBC, participated in the new campaign. “I can imagine that, with the positive energy and the positive thoughts, and the love that I’m surrounded by, there will be people who have the energy and the desire to help those of us who are fighting Stage IV breast cancer,” she said in the press release. “I can imagine that my children will see me grow as I see them grow. I can imagine that I can see more milestones in my children’s lives—see them graduate high school and maybe even get married. I can imagine that I am surrounded with love. I can imagine that I can get through this. I can imagine that I can help others.” 

To read more about metastatic breast cancer, check out Cancer Health’s Fall 2022 cover story, “The Making of a Metastatic Breast Cancer Advocate.”

* In a previous version of this article, Cancer Health included an outdated quote from Fairchild and an MBC patient. We regret the error.