February Updates
ACTION, AWARENESS, HOPE
Register Now for HOPE Summit
Join us in Dallas, TX, for HOPE Summit 2026! This weekend-long conference brings together hundreds of people living with lung cancer, care partners, and clinicians to make new friends, inspire hope, and hear from experts in the field.
HOPE Summit is free to attend, and the Survivor's Challenge can help you fundraise to cover travel and hotel costs.
Your Support Is Sparking the Discoveries of Tomorrow
Over the past 25 years, we’ve made tremendous strides in understanding and treating lung cancer. Thanks to research that has expanded early detection tools and broadened treatment options, the five-year survival rate has nearly doubled from 15% in 2000 to 28% in 2025. But we’re far from finished.
LUNGevity is committed to accelerating the next generation of breakthroughs. This month, researchers from across the U.S. and around the world are submitting innovative proposals for LUNGevity funding.
These ideas hold the potential to transform lung cancer into a curable disease. We’re excited to champion this bold science that is pushing the field forward.
Read more about the types of research we’re supporting this year. This progress is only possible because of generous donors like you. Thank you for fueling the discoveries that bring us closer to a world where no one dies from lung cancer.
Your donation makes an impact!
SCIENCE & RESEARCH CORNER
Decades of advances in immunotherapy have given patients more ways to live longer and better with lung cancer.
In this issue, we feature two articles highlighting how scientists continue to advance immunotherapy.
It’s Just the Beginning for Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer
At the recent annual meeting of The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) experts gathered in National Harbor, Maryland from November 5-9 to mark forty years of innovation in cancer immunotherapy and to discuss what comes next. The conversations included a wide range of ways that scientists are working to help the immune system detect and treat lung cancer.
Exciting new directions for immunotherapy, including advances in imaging, evolving therapeutics, and research focused on stopping lung cancer before it starts, are on the horizon. Read more to learn about breakthroughs that are driving the next era of lung cancer treatment.
Improving Quality of Life for People Receiving Immunotherapy
Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy, have given many people with lung cancer valuable time with the ones they love. Yet living longer is only part of the story. Side effects like fatigue, diarrhea, or inflammation in the lungs can disrupt daily life for some patients. Dr. Diane Tseng is passionate about understanding why these side effects happen and how to reduce them. Her research into special immune cells that may influence treatment response is helping scientists chart new paths toward better care. Read more to learn how her work, supported by a LUNGevity Career Development Award, is shaping the future of patient-centered cancer treatment.
Don't Miss Out!
Our research newsletter keeps you up to date on all the latest scientific developments in lung cancer. Subscribe now and watch for the next issue coming soon.
Financial Neutrality and Financial Support in Oncology Clinical Trials
The Equitable Access to Clinical Trials Initiative (EACT), hosted by LUNGevity, aims to ensure that clinical trials do not cost participants more than they would pay for their standard treatment (financial neutrality). EACT has a webinar today, February 12th, 2-3 pm EST: Advancing Cost Neutrality for Clinical Trials.
During this webinar, experts will discuss clinical trial site best practices and considerations in providing financial support for clinical trial participants. The webinar is open to anyone, with an emphasis on people who work at sites running clinical trials.
Team LUNGevity Races Around the World
2026 brings four exciting additions to the Team LUNGevity calendar! From iconic city streets to bucket-list destinations, there are more ways than ever to race with purpose:
🏯🗾🗻 Tokyo Marathon (March 1) – Join our interest list for 2027!
🍇🍷🍾 Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon (March 1) – Registration closes February 15!
⛰️🏞️🌄 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (May 24) – Receive a provisional AbbottWMM star!
🏊 🌊 🚨 ⛓️💥 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon (June 7) – Individual and relay options available!
Ready to find your next challenge? Explore the full calendar at www.teamlungevity.org
Freestyle Love Supreme – Live at TRIBECA 360
Save the date for Freestyle Love Supreme – Live at TRIBECA 360° in New York City, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, an unforgettable evening featuring the award-winning hip-hop improv sensation founded by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Created entirely in the moment, this high-energy performance blends music, comedy, and audience collaboration—all in support of the LUNGevity Foundation, with proceeds benefiting lung cancer research, early detection, and more effective treatments to help people live longer, fuller lives.
Small Cell Smashers Blurb
On February 4, 2026, Eric Singhi, MD, assistant professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, shared expert perspectives on why community and support are essential in the small cell lung cancer journey. Don’t miss this impactful webinar!
Join the LUNGevity Action Network!
To receive our latest newsletters and advocacy updates, please sign up for our email list. We also invite you to share your story, to inform our policy work, and to write your members of Congress about lung cancer policy priorities on our Take Action page. This month we are highlighting the Increasing Access to Lung Cancer Screening Act. You can write your representative about this priority legislation using this campaign.
Health Starts with a Conversation
Hosted by LUNGevity in partnership with local healthcare and community-based organizations in Washington DC.
Take charge of your health at this free event for the DC community on Saturday, March 21 at R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center (2730 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC 20032)!
Spring into Screening to learn about the importance of screenings for lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate health. Get your questions answered and speak directly with healthcare providers to find out which screenings are right for you and how to sign up.
Bring your family, friends, and neighbors, because caring for your health is better together! Enjoy a free lunch, explore our resource fair to connect with local organizations that support healthy living, and win exciting prizes along the way.
- Free to attend
- Trusted health information
- Community connections
- Prizes and giveaways
Your health matters—spring into action and get screened!
Easily Create & Update Your Will
Everyone should have a will or estate plan in place to account for the people, pets, and items they care about most. LUNGevity has made it free for all people—whether or not they have lung cancer—to create a will with our partner organization, FreeWill. Please feel free to share this with others in your family who may benefit.
In Case You Missed It
Video: Lung Cancer Lunch & Learn: Expert Insights on Research, Treatment, and Living Well
Video: January Policy and Advocacy Update for the Lung Cancer Community
World Cancer Day - The theme for World Cancer Day this year was “A cancer diagnosis turns your world upside down”. To raise awareness about how lung cancer changes lives, we shared photos of patients and caregivers upside down, along with their own words about how life has changed. You can still raise awareness by sharing our post on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, and X, and by sharing your photos in the comments.
LUNGevity is transforming what it means to be diagnosed and live with lung cancer.
Support our mission by making a tax-deductible donation today.
