LUNGevity Foundation Amplifies Efforts to Improve Lung Cancer Patient Access to Comprehensive Biomarker Testing through New Awareness Campaign

WASHINGTON (February 18, 2021) – LUNGevity Foundation will be launching a new lung cancer campaign called No One Missed, created to drive essential comprehensive biomarker testing in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Guideline-recommended comprehensive biomarker testing can reveal vital information to help identify the appropriate individualized treatment plan for each NSCLC patient.

More than 235,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.¹ According to data presented at ASCO 2019, only 22% of eligible patients with advanced NSCLC—one of the two major types of lung cancer—were tested for the biomarkers associated with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved targeted therapies at the time the research was conducted.^2* Biomarker testing can reveal the presence of driver mutations that can help guide appropriate treatment options for a patient.²

“Lung cancer is at the tip of the spear in precision medicine with advancements happening at an accelerated pace. Lung cancer patients and their providers can look to these fast-paced changes in science to see hope and options for their care,” says Andrea Ferris, President and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation. “Through comprehensive biomarker testing, each patient can receive the appropriate treatment plan for their specific type of NSCLC. That’s why we want to make sure there’s no one missed when it comes to comprehensive biomarker testing in lung cancer—because it’s essential to getting a fully informed diagnosis.”

“We hope the entire lung cancer community will focus on making comprehensive biomarker testing part of diagnosis for every NSCLC patient,” says Nikki Martin, Director of Precision Medicine Initiatives at LUNGevity Foundation. “Whether you’re a provider, an insurer, a professional society, patient advocacy group, hospital, testing company or lab, or pharmaceutical company, we all play a role in communicating one clear and consistent message about the essential role of comprehensive biomarker testing for lung cancer patients.”

“Without biomarker testing, lung cancer patients may miss the opportunity to receive therapies targeted to their type of lung cancer,” says Christine M. Lovly, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. “With a rapidly expanding number of FDA-approved, biomarker-driven therapies for NSCLC and new scientific breakthroughs on the horizon for all lung cancers, the role of biomarker testing is critical. There has never been a more important time to bring this message to lung cancer patients and providers.”

The No One Missed campaign will introduce tools to empower patients and caregivers to request comprehensive biomarker testing from their healthcare team at the time of diagnosis, recurrence, or progression, plus a first-of-its-kind lung cancer patient’s bill of rights for accessing and understanding critical biomarker test results to help inform treatment options.

The No One Missed campaign is supported by founding partner AstraZeneca; by founding members Amgen and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group; and by member Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited. If your organization is interested in joining the No One Missed campaign, contact Meriam Driss at [email protected]. For more information on biomarker testing, visit www.LUNGevity.org. 

*Data based on EMR and claims data for ~600,000 patients across five community oncology practices. At the time research was conducted, EGFR, ALK, ROS1, and BRAF were the biomarkers with FDA-approved targeted therapies.

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer through research, education, policy initiatives, and support and engagement for patients, survivors, and caregivers. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum. LUNGevity works tirelessly to advance research into early detection and more effective treatments, provide information and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers, promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the patient voice through research and engagement. The organization provides an active community for patients and survivors—and those who help them live longer and better lives.

Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All of these programs are to achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization.

Please visit www.LUNGevity.org to learn more.

References:

1. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2021. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2021
2. Gierman HJ, Goldfarb S, Labrador M, et al. Genomic testing and treatment landscape in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) using real-world data from community oncology practices. J Clin Oncol. 2019;37(suppl; abstr 1585).