THE LATEST NEWS
Registration is open for HOPE Summit 2025 in Bethesda, MD! This weekend-long conference brings together hundreds of people living with lung cancer, survivors, and care partners to make new friends, inspire hope, and learn from experts in the field.
Check out the full weekend agenda, including:
- Navigating the Finances of Cancer
- Oncogene Breakout Sessions
- Ask Your Nurse Experts Panel
- What's New in Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Navigating Role and Relationship Changes for Men
HOPE Summit is free to attend, and the Survivor Challenge program can help you fundraise and get travel and hotel costs covered. Watch Jen Phillips share her best fundraising tips for the Survivor Challenge.
Hear Patricia explain how inspiring HOPE Summit was for her.
HOPE Summit isn’t just a conference—it’s a community. It’s a space where people truly understand what it’s like to live with lung cancer, giving you the freedom to share without explanation.
—Ashley V., 2024 attendee
Can't make it to HOPE Summit this year but want to make a difference? Help send a survivor to this life-changing event.
LUNGevity's monthly Conversations that Count series gives you a seat at the table as top experts who are revolutionizing lung cancer care for people in communities facing barriers engage in critical discussions.
On March 18, Cardinale B. Smith, MD, PhD, of Mount Sinai Health System will discuss patient engagement strategies to advance outcomes of patients with lung cancer.
In case you missed it last month ... we heard from Randi Williams, PhD, MPH, Georgetown University, on utilizing multiple strategies to advance equitable implementation of lung cancer screening. Dr. Williams’ work is focused on applying multilevel approaches to advance equitable implementation of lung cancer screening. In this discussion, she breaks down where and why health disparities occur so that they can be combated on the patient level. Watch the recording here.
LUNGevity spoke with Angela Hopper, an 11-year lung cancer survivor who spent 30 years working as an air quality specialist at the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. We asked her, "What do people with lung cancer need to know about keeping themselves safe around smoke, pollution, and dangerous air quality?"
Read what Angela shared with us—and check out her favorite tools for monitoring air quality where you live.
Is Big Sur Calling You?
Team LUNGevity is going to the Big Sur International Marathon, and you can too! Limited FREE entries still available - sign up by March 21.
Enjoy the views of the stunning California coast and feel the rush of the Pacific breeze as you take on this scenic course with every mile making a difference for people living with lung cancer. Conquer the full marathon or grab a new PR in the 21-miler or 11-miler!
Stay Current with the Latest Breakthroughs in Small Cell Lung Cancer
LUNGevity continues to create space for monthly discussions on timely and important topics. Each month, this virtual series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), moderated by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of patient services and healthcare delivery.
Join us live at 12 pm ET on March 14 when Christopher Kniese, MD, of IU Health, will discuss the role of pulmonologists in SCLC. Topics will include why the right diagnosis is key, logistics and importance of a bronchoscopy/biopsy, pulmonary rehab, and more.
Last month we heard from Marina Baine, MD, PhD, and Natasha Rekhtman, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They discussed the role of pathologists in SCLC, why the right diagnosis is key, and logistics and importance of biopsies. They explained unique forms of SCLC such as atypical, transformed, and RB proficient. Watch the video here.
Lung Cancer Advocacy in Action
Last month the LUNGevity Action Network hosted political strategist Monica Popp for a conversation about what to expect from Washington in 2025 and how to be an effective lung cancer advocate.
Those learnings were put to good use earlier this week when our advocacy team sent out an urgent message to members of the LUNGevity Action Network, alerting them to proposed funding cuts to the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs that would impact lung cancer research. Hundreds of people immediately stepped up, sending messages to their legislators through our advocacy portal asking them to oppose the cuts.
The LUNGevity Action Network is made up of people like you – people with lung cancer and those who care about them. If you'd like to be notified when these alerts are issued, sign up for email updates here. With just a few clicks, you can make your voice heard on important legislation.
Football Fans Tackle Lung Cancer with LUNGevity's “Create Your Own Fundraiser" Program
POST GOES VIRAL WITH SURPRISING RESULTS
For the past 20+ years, a dedicated group of Washington Commanders fans calling themselves the Hail BBQ Crew, led by “Tailgate Ted” Abela, have rallied to give back to the community while supporting their team. This year, the crew chose to support LUNGevity and created their “Help Us Tackle Lung Cancer” fundraiser through LUNGevity’s Create Your Own Fundraiser program.
This year's choice was special to them: it honored Billy Potts, a lifelong Washington Commanders fan who passed away from lung cancer. Billy's daughter Caitlyn Potts is a Hail BBQ Crew member. The group fundraised all season long, collecting donations and raffling off entries to win signed memorabilia.
However, the greatest boost in fundraising came from an unlikely place—rival Philadelphia Eagles fans, who joined in the fundraiser after their team defeated the Commanders in the NFC Championship game to go on to the Super Bowl.
After a viral post on social media, hundreds of Philadelphia fans joined in to support the fundraiser and show some classic team rivalry in the form of lively pro-Eagles messages and donations of $55.23, representing the final score of the Eagles-Commanders game.
Overall, the Crew raised more than $28,000, proving that this fundraiser was bigger than any one team or sport—and that anything can be turned into a Create Your Own fundraising opportunity.
🏈 🏀 🪁 🎁Turn YOUR hobby or gathering into your own fundraiser in support of LUNGevity today! We have plenty of advice and tips to get you started.
Protein Degraders in Cancer Treatment: What They Are and How They Work
FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 12 PM ET
Join us on Friday, March 28, at 12 pm ET for an engaging Facebook Live discussion on the role of RET gene alterations (fusions and mutations) in cancers such as lung and thyroid. While current therapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are a cornerstone in treatment, there's a growing need for new solutions when these drugs lose their effectiveness.
In this session, we will hear from Emily Walthall and Dr. Hilary Hammell from the RETpositive community as they share their insights and experiences. Also joining us is Justin Drake, PhD, the 2024 RETpositive/LUNGevity Foundation awardee, who will dive into the world of protein degraders—a groundbreaking new class of drugs that show promise in preclinical cancer models.
Dr. Drake is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Urology at the University of Minnesota. He will explain how these innovative treatments work and their potential in the treatment of RET-positive cancers. Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, executive director of research at LUNGevity Foundation, will moderate this conversation. Don’t miss this chance to learn about new RET-targeted therapies!
Best Practices for Equitable Access to Clinical Trials: The EACT Project
Patients cite cost as a top reason for declining clinical trial participation. The Equitable Access to Clinical Trials (EACT) Project is a multistakeholder initiative launched by LUNGevity Foundation in 2023 to share best practices and foster collaborative action to reduce or remove nonmedical out-of-pocket costs (e.g., travel, lodging, meals, lost wages, etc.) for clinical trial participants.
Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive, explicit guidance on the acceptability of financial support for trial participants, as well as awareness and alignment of existing financial support programs. Having convened over 25 participating organizations, EACT is identifying best practices and defining consensus standards, clarifying tax and legal issues, and expanding education efforts about reimbursement programs to support clinical trial participants.
Expanding LUNGevity’s Scientific Thought Leadership
LUNGevity is thrilled to welcome Jessica Lin, MD, and Sandip Patel, MD, to our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). These experts will work closely with other esteemed members of the SAB to help guide LUNGevity’s programs, with particular focus on clinical trials, targeted therapies, and precision medicine. Additionally, the SAB plays a key role in helping select new projects for research funding.
Learn more about the high-caliber lung cancer experts who serve on LUNGevity’s SAB.
Making Better Treatment Decisions with Comprehensive Biomarker Testing
LUNGevity hosted its annual Precision Medicine Summit in Washington, DC, on February 26, gathering more than 70 oncologists, pathologists, nurses, payers, professional societies, and patient advocacy, diagnostics, and pharma partners to address barriers to access to comprehensive biomarker testing and treating patients based on their complete test results.
Expert panelists shared insights on:
- Policy & Reimbursement Barriers to Reflex Testing: Examining CMS rules, the 14-day rule, and reimbursement challenges impacting adoption
- Decision Making in Precision Medicine: Addressing workflow barriers and leadership knowledge gaps to ensure timely biomarker test results
- Provider-Patient Communication: Highlighting a hospital intervention to improve biomarker testing discussions, patient awareness, and willingness to wait for results before treatment decisions
The insights shared throughout the day will help working groups refine their strategies to improve biomarker testing access for people with non-small cell lung cancer and ensure that all individuals diagnosed with NSCLC make treatment decisions based on the outcome of comprehensive biomarker testing. Additionally, the group celebrated the successful completion of LUNGevity and ACCC’s collaborative multi-year initiative to improve biomarker testing rates and patient-provider communication on testing and waiting for results before starting treatment.
Learn more about LUNGevity’s precision medicine initiatives.
LUNGevity is transforming what it means to be diagnosed and live with lung cancer. Support our mission by making a tax-deductible donation today.
