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Throughout 2016 on our blog, we shared interviews with patients; news about partnerships and initiatives that help support patients and science; stories that illustrate our focus on advancing patient health and access to care; and much more. From the dozens of blog posts we published this year, we put together a list of some of our favorites that we want to make sure you catch before the year is over.

In 2005, Melissa Crouse was diagnosed with lung cancer and given three to five years to live. Eleven years later, Melissa continues to manage her disease while giving back to the lung cancer community and getting the most out of life. Melissa shares her perspective on living with lung cancer, understanding the importance of biomarkers, and remaining hopeful.

By Kevin Fitzpatrick, CEO, CancerLinQ LLC

This is an exciting time in the field of oncology—a time of rapid discovery, learning and new treatments to fight this terrible disease, as we work to provide patients with greater hope. Imagine taking these daily learnings and aggregating them in one accessible place while simultaneously creating a learning platform that medical oncologists can use to help improve patient care. 

When it comes to cancer treatment, one size does not fit all. Of the estimated 1.6 million Americans who will be diagnosed with cancer in 2016, no two will be exactly the same. More and more, we’re hearing (and using) buzzwords to this effect: Personalized healthcare. Precision medicine. Targeted therapy. 

By Dr. Phil McGraw

As someone who has lived with type 2 diabetes for more than 25 years, I understand the day-to-day issues that accompany managing a lifelong disease. It’s important to me to amplify the conversation around these challenges that people living with type 2 diabetes experience. 

While online conversations about diabetes are on the rise and people with diabetes have cultivated the Diabetes Online Community (#DOC) as a way to connect with one another, those living with type 2 diabetes seem to play a less active part in the dialogue. To help strengthen and elevate the voices of type 2 diabetes advocates, AstraZeneca recently hosted members of the type 2 community for DiabetesLinkup: In It 2gether.

“Before being diagnosed with COPD, I lived a dramatically wonderful life. As my disease has progressed, it’s become harder for me to do the things I never thought twice about,” shares Edna Shattuck, a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patient and retired nurse in Chevy Chase, MD. Edna is one of more than 15 million Americans diagnosed with COPD, the third leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause of disability.

As seasonal viruses begin to circulate this autumn, there is no better time to educate new and expecting parents of a common virus contracted by nearly 100 percent of infants by the age of two – Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). RSV disease is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies in the US during their first year of life, and can cause up to approximately 200 infant deaths in the US each year.

When patients are diagnosed with cancer, the following questions may be top of mind as they begin their treatment journey: Should I consider joining a clinical trial? What does clinical trial participation entail? How can I locate the most appropriate clinical trial for my particular disease? How do I actually enroll in a clinical trial? 

AstraZeneca, the American Heart Association (AHA) and Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences) announced Wednesday that Dr. Calum MacRae is the recipient of a $75 million research award to study coronary heart disease (CHD) and its consequences. 

When doctors diagnosed Kristin Johnson St. Goddard with metastatic breast cancer, she was given 18 months to live. Fast forward 18 years and different treatment regimens - Kristin is still going strong. While some days are challenging, she continues to lead a good life, and remains hopeful that one day, there will be a cure. See her story. 

Nine years ago, Danei Edelen was established in her career as a marketing executive and happily raising a family with her husband in Ohio. Then something unexpected happened. “After five nights of no sleep, hallucinations, I sought hospitalization,” Danei said. She subsequently learned she had experienced a psychotic break caused by an underlying and undiagnosed mental illness called bipolar disorder. 

“Leadership is surrounding yourself with others who do not think like you and bringing out the best in those people.”

“Fostering diversity does not need justification; it is simply the right thing to do.”

“Diversity fuels innovation; a team needs individuals who approach challenges differently.”  

These messages were among those heard by hundreds of our employees last month at the 5th Annual Women’s Summit held on our Gaithersburg campus. 

Cancer is one of mankind’s greatest scientific and health challenges. Today, nearly 14.5 million Americans^[1] have cancer and the total annual cost of their treatment is estimated at $125 billion^[2]. With astonishing numbers like these, it’s more important than ever before that patients receive the best care possible while effectively managing overall costs to the healthcare system.

Not long ago, Emma Waldman was a fifth grader just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, disengaged from her classes in science and math. “[They] were always hard to conceptualize, I never really saw them as practical or important,” says Emma.  She is certainly not alone; 83% of students in the United States are not proficient or not interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields by eighth grade.

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases are complex and require life-long attention. Patients need to address many factors — from preventive measures, to care at the onset of disease to ongoing disease management. Our goal at AstraZeneca is to reduce the high cost of long-term complications with comprehensive support programs and resources that provide a thoughtful, personalized approach. We do this to help patients adhere to their treatment, reduce re-admission rates and change the course of disease by improving quality of care and ensuring that innovative medicines are being researched and accessible to patients in a timely manner.

When managing your health, convenience is key. We all want tools that enable us to lead healthier lives while saving us time and money. That’s why AstraZeneca is introducing an industry leading digital support program called AZhelps, built to help you better manage your AstraZeneca medications and your health.

We recently took a look at how social media has transformed medical meetings, enabling attendees to engage and connect in real time, but also allowing anyone with internet access to join the conversation from wherever they are. As we approach the American Diabetes Association’s 76th Scientific Sessions taking place June 10-14, those at the meeting will take to social media to share their #2016ADA experience with the world, from new research presented to exploring New Orleans and everything in between.

This year alone, nearly 1.7 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the United States. A patient newly diagnosed with cancer, after absorbing the unwanted news from his or her physician, will want to know, “What treatments will I need? Where do I begin?”

AstraZeneca recently hosted a number of non-profit partners at our North America Headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware for an event, entitled Purposeful Collaboration, which was developed based on their interest in collaborating across organizational lines for greater impact.

Your health and that of your loved ones is one of the most important aspects of life. It’s also the most important aspect of our work. For more than 40 years, we’ve addressed respiratory challenges to improve millions of lives – and we’re not slowing down. 

By Topher Brooke, Vice President, U.S. Diabetes, AstraZeneca

On May 11, AstraZeneca and Dr. Phil will join policymakers and advocates on Capitol Hill to ask Congress for more support of those living with and at risk for developing diabetes and call attention to the patient experience. 

For patients with chronic pain, taking a prescribed opioid treatment for long-term pain management may provide pain relief but can also cause opioid-induced constipation (OIC). However, some patients may not realize that constipation is one of the most common side effects of their prescription opioid treatment. 

What exactly is Co-Suspension Technology? In our recent blog post, find facts about Co-Suspension Technology to answer this question.

By Jessica Tar, patient advocate

2010 was truly a year that delivered the worst to my life. In April, the unexpected death of my father, a non-smoker, from lung cancer, revealed the mystery of this disease and at times, its unidentifiable origins. My shock was to be exceeded just nine months after my father’s death when I received the news of my own diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma.

By Steven Zelenkofske, DO, Vice President, US Medical Affairs, Cardiovascular, AstraZeneca

With ACC coming up this weekend, I caught up with Roxana Mehran, MD, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine to discuss the multi-faceted nature of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and how research and science is helping to evolve the way we view the causes and management of CVD.

Social media takes medical meetings beyond the convention center walls to provide a real-time yet enduring story of patient experiences, scientific breakthroughs and inspirational speakers. It opens the meetings up to anyone, whether they have a deep or passing interest in all or any of the subjects being discussed, while democratizing the sharing of information.