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.

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.

Join us for a discussion on lung cancer biomarkers to learn what biomarker testing is, why it’s important, and how it can be used to optimize your treatment plans. We are thrilled to welcome our panelists: Balazs Halmos, MD, a thoracic medical oncologist from Montefiore Medical Center in New York; Elizabeth Ravera, a patient navigator at Montefiore; and a patient living with lung cancer who tested positive for the ALK biomarker. The panel is moderated by LUNGevity's Amy Moore, PhD, VP of Global Engagement and Patient Partnerships.

Learn about what's next once osimertinib stops working in EGFR+ lung cancer. EGFR Resisters co-founders Jill Feldman and Ivy Elkins, and 2021 EGFR Resisters/LUNGevity Foundation awardees Christine Lovly, MD, PhD, and Helena Yu, MD, share updates for the community. 

This video was recorded on Facebook Live on May 11, 2023.

Clinical trials are an important option for patients because the newest treatment approaches, not available otherwise, are being tested in them. Clinical trial research leads to more advancements and potential treatment options, and the therapies used today were once tested in clinical trials. Continued progress is only possible if patients with lung cancer volunteer to participate in the clinical trial process. 

LUNGevity's Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, Executive Director, Research,  discusses innovative research into RET+ NSCLC with patient advocates and the scientist conducting the studies.  Panelists include Omaima Salous (diagnosed with RET+ NSCLC and co-founder of The Hamoui Foundation), Dr. Hilary Hammell (diagnosed with RET+ NSCLC and co-chair of RETpositive), and Dr. Tejas Patil (Assistant Professor, University of Colorado). The discussion focuses on Dr.

The development of new treatments for any disease relies on the collaborative efforts of many different stakeholders, such as scientists, clinicians, patient advocacy groups, regulators, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

During scientific conferences that happen throughout the year, stakeholders cobble together opportunities to discuss the current state of treatments and strategize ways to bring emerging lifesaving treatments to patients.

Communication is critical to a positive doctor-patient relationship. Knowing the right questions to ask helps ensure you leave your appointments with the information and answers you need. Being prepared may also lessen anxiety and help provide a sense of control. Meeting with your oncologist, especially when first diagnosed or deciding on a treatment plan, are times when being prepared with questions is necessary.  

While our bodies can have a wide range of naturally occurring, harmless mutations in different genes, some mutations, called driver mutations, are key to driving the development of cancer. There are many driver mutations. Researchers have been developing drugs that target specific driver mutations in lung cancer, creating therapies for those patients whose lung cancer harbors them.

Researchers have made tremendous progress in treating lung cancer by identifying key mutations in genes that drive the growth of lung cancer. Once these “driver” mutations are identified, researchers can work to target these mutations with specific treatments, called targeted therapies.