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. There are many ongoing clinical trials testing new lung cancer treatments, including targeted therapies, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, alone and in combination

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. Patil’s RET+ NSCLC research project and why it matters to patients. This project is supported by a Hamoui Foundation/LUNGevity Foundation award for

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. Each year, there is one key conference dedicated to bringing these stakeholders together with the sole goal of discussing the development of

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. LUNGevity has downloadable lists of questions that you can bring to appointments to make gathering information and taking notes easier. Below are sample questions for different

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. Early Targeting of EGFR In the early 2000s, EGFR was the first gene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to be matched with a targeted therapy. Originally, researchers focused on the two driver mutations in the

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. FDA-approved targeted therapies exist for treating EGFR-positive NSCLC, or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients whose tumors test positive for exon19 and exon21 L858R mutations in the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) gene. But there are patients with NSCLC whose tumors have other EGFR mutations

Brain metastases are known to occur in approximately 25% of patients diagnosed with lung cancer. This webinar dives into the details of brain metastasis in lung cancer to explore their signs and symptoms. It also includes a discussion of treatment considerations. Through this webinar, you will learn to: Understand how brain metastasis occurs Keep an eye out for signs & symptoms of brain mets Understand treatment options and management techniques This webinar was created in partnership with LUNGevity Foundation and American Brain Tumor Association with support from Novocure. Hosts: Upal Basu

Pulmonary rehab expert Debbie Koehl, MS, RRT-NPS, AE-C, FAARC, speaks to LUNGevity's Survivorship Navigator, Kristi Griffith, to explain what pulmonary rehabilitation is, explore the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation, and gain key insights about how to obtain pulmonary rehabilitation for yourself or a loved one. The discussion is followed by an informal Q&A with other lung cancer survivors. This recording was made during one of LUNGevity Foundation's Virtual Meetups -- a free resource for the lung cancer community. See the full schedule of Virtual Meetups at lungevity.org/meetups.

In this video, nurse practitioner Lauren Welch, MSN, NP-C, AOCNP, from the Sarah Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee Oncology offers a quick review of pneumonitis - a common side effect of some lung cancer treatments. Survivors and caregivers can learn: What is pneumonitis? What causes it? How is it treated? What symptoms should we look out for?

Lung cancer expert Dr. Zosia Piotrowska speaks with Dr. Amy Moore, LUNGevity’s VP of Global Engagement and Patient Partnerships, to discuss the key information everyone with newly diagnosed EGFR-positive lung cancer needs to know. Dr. Piotrowska is a researcher and thoracic oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.