Transforming Lung Cancer Through Science

Welcome to Research Advances, LUNGevity’s quarterly e-newsletter that helps you stay up to date on the latest lung cancer science.

We bring you the latest developments shaping the future of lung cancer research and patient care. In this issue, you will find highlights of new scientific discoveries presented at major conferences and in leading journals, spotlights on innovative work taking place in laboratories today, and two recent FDA approvals that expand treatment options for patients.

Recent Conferences

Science Conference Highlights

Lung cancer research is advancing at an unprecedented pace, with groundbreaking progress in early detection and treatment changing what is possible for patients. LUNGevity helps you stay informed by bringing clear, accessible coverage of the most important discoveries and breakthroughs. Check out these highlights from the World Conference on Lung Cancer:

Stay tuned for LUNGevity’s upcoming coverage of the European Society of Medical Oncology’s annual meeting to learn about the latest innovations shaping the future of lung cancer care.

Featured Research

Using Radiation to Make Immunotherapy More Effective

Exciting new research published in Nature Cancer shows that pairing targeted radiation with immune checkpoint inhibitors, known as radioimmunotherapy, can “heat up” immunologically cold lung tumors, triggering immune responses and boosting the natural ability to kill cancer cells throughout the body.

While additional studies are ongoing, this strategy could expand treatment options and improve outcomes for people whose tumors previously did not respond to immunotherapy alone, and it could also be beneficial for treating tumors that have developed resistance to immunotherapy. [Learn more]

Science Spotlights

Researcher Aims to Cure EGFR+ Lung Cancer

A pioneer in our understanding of drug resistance in EGFR+ lung cancer, Susumu Kobayashi, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is working toward his long-standing goal of eliminating drug-resistant lung cancer. His team uncovered how a protein, CD74, can ultimately lead to recurrence by shielding drug-tolerant persister cells from treatment. By pairing tyrosine kinase inhibitors with CD74-targeted antibody-drug conjugates, Dr. Kobayashi hopes to finally eradicate these cells for good. This work, supported by the EGFR Resisters/LUNGevity Research Award, holds promise for transforming temporary responses into lasting cures for patients with EGFR-positive lung cancer. [Learn more]

Creating Effective Options for Treating Lung Cancer with BRAF Fusions

BRAF fusions are rare genetic changes that drive some cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet no targeted treatments currently exist. Michael Offin, MD, a physician-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering, is working to change that. Dr. Offin and his team of collaborators are testing promising new drugs and building lab models from patient tissue samples. Their goal is clear – to transform discoveries in the lab into lifesaving treatments for patients with BRAF-driven lung cancers. [Learn more]

Empowering Veterans to Make Informed Lung Cancer Screening Decisions

Lung cancer screening saves lives, yet fewer than 1 in 5 eligible patients receive it. This is an especially urgent problem for veterans, who are known to face higher risk of lung cancer. Neelima Navuluri, MD, MPH, of Duke University and Durham VA, is tackling this health care gap by creating a personalized electronic tool to help veterans make informed decisions about lung cancer screening. By empowering patients, Dr. Navuluri’s work has the potential to shift diagnoses to earlier, more treatable stages, which would transform lung cancer outcomes for veterans and civilians alike. [Learn more]

Drug News

Recent FDA Approvals

LUNGevity celebrates the recent treatment approvals for lung cancer that build on foundational work from basic scientists and translational researchers to improve outcomes for many people living with this disease.

On August 8, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the accelerated approval of zongertinib to treat patients with advanced NSCLC with mutations in the HER2 gene. [Learn more]
On October 2, the FDA approved the combination of lurbinectedin with atezolizumab as the first maintenance treatment for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. [Learn more]

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