Linda Wenger
lwenger@LUNGevity.org
(973) 449-3214
WASHINGTON, DC (April 3, 2017) — LUNGevity Foundation has launched Patient FoRCe, the first-ever critical bridge to connect the voices of lung cancer patients — a significant population — with health care professionals, regulators, policymakers, and developers of drugs. “Lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer, taking the lives of 157,000 Americans every year. LUNGevity is leading the way in changing the paradigm of cancer treatment ─ from assuming patient wishes to evidence-based conclusions about what patients value,” said LUNGevity Chairman Andrea Stern Ferris. “Through Patient FoRCe, lung cancer patient voices will be heard and heeded as policy is developed, research is conducted, and treatment decisions are made.”
Patient FoRCe, LUNGevity’s Patient-Focused Research Center, will undertake never-before studies of those living with lung cancer, collecting and sharing robust qualitative and quantitative data about lung cancer patients’ preferences and experiences to inform treatment, as well as relevant policy and research protocols.
Patient FoRCe’s immediate focus will include continuing a study of patient preferences and experiences regarding access to care, treatment and diagnostic options, and the impact of symptoms on daily living, as well as conducting studies to facilitate patients’ access to biomarker testing, which is essential to implementing precision medicine. Patient FoRCe will also initiate a study into increasing adherence to lung cancer screening protocols for people at high risk for lung cancer. Additional projects will be based on stakeholder input and the guidance of an external advisory board of survivors, academic and community clinicians, industry partners, patient advocacy groups, and community partners.
LUNGevity formally announced Patient FoRCe at the American Association for Cancer Research’s 2017 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, on Sunday, April 2. Andrea Stern Ferris spoke to the urgency of the initiative, saying, “For too long, public policy, the practice of medicine, and drug development have not adequately integrated the viewpoint of patients. LUNGevity is determined to change that paradigm. By incorporating the patient’s voice into every step of the process – in policymaking, in trials, in treatments – we will improve outcomes for those diagnosed with lung cancer.”
“Our goal is to uncover gaps in information, misperceptions about patient attitudes, and areas of unmet patient need,” explained Dr. Upal Basu Roy, Director of Patient FoRCe. “LUNGevity is the only organization driving this type of change for the lung cancer community, and we anticipate that our findings will shape the future of lung cancer care.”
For more information about Patient FoRCe, visit www.LUNGevity.org/patientforce.
About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity is the nation's leading lung cancer organization investing in lifesaving, translational research and providing support services and education for patients and caregivers. LUNGevity’s goals are three-fold: (1) accelerate research to patients, (2) empower patients to be active participants in their treatment decisions, and (3) remove barriers that patients face in accessing the right treatments.
LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. LUNGevity’s comprehensive resources include a medically vetted website, a toll-free HELPLine in partnership with CancerCare®, a unique Lung Cancer Navigator app, peer-to-peer mentoring for patients and caregivers (LUNGevity LifeLine), and survivorship conferences. LUNGevity also helps patients find and navigate clinical trials through our Clinical Trial Finder tool, a Clinical Trial Ambassador program, and participation with Emerging Med.
Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.
About Lung Cancer in the US
- About 1 in 15 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
- More than 224,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year
- About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
- Lung cancer takes more lives than the next four deadliest cancers (colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and prostate) combined
- Only 18% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it’s caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically