Our January newsletter
Better Understanding of Small Cell Lung Cancer Thanks to LUNGevity’s Research Program
LUNGevity Foundation is proud to support research into small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and we are excited to announce scientific progress in this recalcitrant cancer. The work of Dr. Carl Gay (LUNGevity 2020 Career Development Awardee) and his mentor, Dr. Lauren Byers (LUNGevity 2012 Career Development Awardee/2015 Targeted Therapeutics Awardee), who are working on understanding how we can personalize treatment for SCLC, was recently published in the highly prestigious journal Cancer Cell. Such publications recognize significant scientific advancements and are instrumental in furthering scientific knowledge.
Learn more about the work of Drs. Gay and Byers as well as LUNGevity’s prestigious scientific awards program on our Research page. To date, LUNGevity has funded 15 highly impactful projects focused on understanding how to develop better treatments for SCLC.
Dr. Lauren Byers
Dr. Carl Gay
Publication Proposes New Framework to Address Disparities in Medically Underserved
LUNGevity contributed to a manuscript recently published in the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Journal of Oncology Practice entitled “Development of an Actionable Framework to Address Cancer Care Disparities in Medically Underserved Populations in the United States: Expert Roundtable Recommendations.”
Click on the image for an expanded view.
The manuscript, which was co-authored by LUNGevity’s Chief Health Equity and Diversity Officer, Jeanne Regnante, features actionable insights on best practices to erase cancer disparities across the care continuum. Health inequities and disparities in care among the medically underserved persist despite widespread efforts to address them. The COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on communities of color and other vulnerable populations underscore the critical importance of addressing inequities in health care.
Expert stakeholders from across the country came together and agreed upon the actions that will have the greatest impact on communities they serve. The recommendations are applicable to many medically underserved communities, including rural populations, LGBTQ, and immigrant populations. It is the hope of the working group that the proposed framework will address barriers to care and bridge care from screening and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship.
To learn more, read the manuscript from the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Journal of Oncology Practice.
2020 Research in Review
Despite the pandemic, 2020 has been a banner year for progress in the treatment of lung cancer. Lung cancer treatment options are exploding with hope and possibility for all lung cancer patients and their families.
Dr. Upal Basu Roy, Executive Director, LUNGevity Research, reviewed the research advancements that 2020 brought us. Highlights include:
- Several new immunotherapy options, including a second option for small cell lung cancer patients
- The first FDA approvals for two oncogenic drivers, RET and MET
- Updated screening guidelines for those at risk for lung cancer
- A grant to study the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in lung cancer patients compared to “healthy” individuals and how this will impact vaccination
Read the article for even more advances. We look forward to bringing you more on research progress in 2021!
New Booklet: Screening and Early Detection
Our new Screening and Early Detection booklet is now available on the LUNGevity website. Read this booklet to understand the benefits of early detection, who is eligible for lung cancer screening, how lung cancer screening is conducted, and what happens when screening detects an abnormality. Be sure to share with those who might be at risk for lung cancer to help them take control of their health.
This booklet, and our entire portfolio of educational materials, is available for download on our website.
Topics covering each type of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer staging, clinical trials, biomarker testing, and various treatment types are available to download as booklets or trifolds.
Bulk orders are available for healthcare providers. Order now.
