Leveraging Genetics to Understand Why Younger Adults Are Developing Lung Cancer

Read Time: 5 minutes It’s a mystery that has been baffling researchers: Why do some people develop lung cancer in their 20s or 30s? While we used to think lung cancer was only caused by exposure to tobacco and environmental factors like radon, researchers are starting to learn that the development of lung cancer, particularly in younger adults, could have a hereditary component. LUNGevity partnered with the Lung Cancer Initiative, a leading nonprofit in North Carolina, to support research into this space by awarding one of our 2023 Career Development Awards to Jaclyn LoPiccolo, PhD, MD

Treatment of Advanced Stage NSCLC Without Targetable Biomarkers - Recorded Video

In this webinar, we discuss treatment of metastatic NSCLC that does not have targetable biomarkers. Hear from guest speakers Denise Cutlip (patient advocate) and Dr. Benjamin Levy (Thoracic Oncologist & Clinical Director of Medical Oncology, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital). Dr. Levy is a physician-scientist who runs clinical trials in lung cancer. He is a member of LUNGevity's Scientific Advisory Board. This webinar was originally recorded as a Facebook Live event on December 15, 2023.

Building a Computational Model to Optimize Patient Treatment

Approximately 20%-35% of patients newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) will have locally advanced disease, sometimes referred to as stage III NSCLC. The definitions of locally advanced disease can be complex. Generally, in these cases, the tumor may have grown into other areas close to the lung, such as the diaphragm or esophagus, or spread to nearby lymph nodes. However, the disease would not have spread to distant parts of the body. The standard treatments of locally advanced lung cancer have been surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation for many decades, but recently

LUNGevity Announces $1.2M in Lung Cancer Workforce Development Research Awards

LUNGevity Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of four awards to bolster the lung cancer research workforce— the Career Development Award, the VA Research Scholar Award, the Health Equity and Inclusiveness Research Fellow Award, and the ASTRO-LUNGevity Residents/Fellows in Radiation Oncology Seed Grant. “Progress in lung cancer research is only possible with a vibrant and diverse thoracic oncology workforce,” notes Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, executive director, LUNGevity Research. “We have to maintain a pipeline of excellent researchers from a diverse range of backgrounds to create

Treatment & Research Takeaways: ESMO 2023 Meeting

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) recently held its annual conference from October 20 – 24, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. ESMO represents one of the largest gatherings of the international oncology community, and this year’s meeting had over 30,000 registered attendees from around the world. Though October 19th brought record rainfall to Madrid, breaking a 100-year record, the rain in Spain didn’t dampen the palpable excitement of this year’s meeting. This was an especially exciting ESMO because there were a number of important lung cancer presentations that represent practice-changing

What Is a Clinical Trial

Lung cancer clinical trials are carefully designed research studies to evaluate and learn more about new drugs and treatments. They give people the ability to participate in lung cancer research and access to new treatments that otherwise may not be available to them, all under the close supervision of medical experts.

Watch Recorded Expert Sessions From ILCSC

The International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference (ILCSC) is a free virtual educational conference for people with lung cancer, caregivers, and advocates. The 2023 conference was held September 22-23. The recorded sessions from this conference are available to registered participants through December 21, 2023, at www.lungevity.org/ilcsc. If you did not register for the conference but would like to view the recordings, you may still register for free access. The recordings are available until December 21. The recordings provide opportunities for attendees to hear from world-renowned

The Latest Lung Cancer Science: Highlights of WCLC 2023

I had the privilege of attending the 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) in Singapore with my colleague Dr. Bellinda King-Kallimanis. WCLC, the world's largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, is an excellent forum for learning about the latest research into the early detection and treatment of lung cancer. Apart from the science, it was inspiring to see fellow advocates and network with brilliant researchers, all razor-focused on improving the outcomes and lives of people diagnosed with lung cancer. Major highlights of the meeting are summarized below

Decentralized Trials: Bringing Clinical Trials Closer to the Patient

While participating in clinical trials can provide substantial benefits to people with lung cancer, the resources required to do so may pose significant hurdles, especially to those who don’t live close to where trials are held, such as academic medical centers or major oncology network sites. Decentralized clinical trials remove some hurdles to trial participation for patients and are thus important for improving trial access for larger and more diverse groups of people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a draft guidance outlining recommendations and important

2023 ASCO: Highlights of Lung Cancer Research

Recently, members of LUNGevity Foundation joined thousands of attendees from the US and around the world, including oncologists, scientists, biotech and pharmaceutical representatives, advocates, and patients, to discuss lifesaving cancer research at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago from June 2 through June 6, 2023. The theme for this year’s conference, “Partnering With Patients: The Cornerstone of Cancer Care and Research,” was in recognition of the importance of shared decision-making in cancer research, healthcare delivery, and treatment