Victoria Shapiro
[email protected]
(202) 414-0774
WASHINGTON (September12,2012) – LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit, commented today on the release of the American Association for Cancer Research’s AACR Cancer Progress Report 2012. LUNGevity Foundation President Andrea Stern Ferris and LUNGevity spokesperson and lung cancer survivor Monica Barlow, will attend the National Press Club press conference for the release of the report today, September 12, at 2 p.m. EST. Barlow, whose experience with lung cancer is featured in the report, will be a featured speaker at the event. Both Ferris and Barlow are available for interviews.
“I applaud the AACR for the strong case for funding of research documented in the new report,” said LUNGevity Foundation President Andrea Stern Ferris. “Progress in lung cancer research is giving us reason to be hopeful, and personalized medicine is greatly improving the treatment experience, including quality of life, for some lung cancer patients. Monica Barlow’s experience being treated with crizotinib for her ALK mutation is a great example of this. She’s able to lead a busy and full life. We are calling the nation to commit to funding research that will save lives. With research funding, there is hope for those impacted by lung cancer and other cancers.”
“I’m pleased the AACR featured my story about living with lung cancer in their Cancer Progress Report 2012,” said LUNGevity Foundation spokesperson and lung cancer survivor Monica Barlow. “Lung cancer affects one in 14 Americans, and it’s critical that the disease receives more attention at the national level. My greatest hope is that more research funds go into finding more effective detection and treatment methods for lung cancer, and all cancers. Personalized medicine can help cancer survivors greatly.”
LUNGevity, like the AACR, also supports critical research. With a world-class Scientific Advisory Board, the Foundation has the largest grants award program for lung cancer research among lung cancer nonprofit organizations in the United States. In the past two years, LUNGevity has awarded over $5 million to the most promising lung cancer research proposals in the areas of early detection and targeted therapeutics. In addition to funding research, LUNGevity also provides the largest online support community for those affected by lung cancer, medically-expert information, a caregiver resource center, and has the largest national grassroots lung cancer network, with events happening across the country.
About LUNGevity Foundation
The mission of LUNGevity Foundation is to have a meaningful impact on improving lung cancer survival rates, ensure a higher quality of life for lung cancer patients and provide a community for those impacted by lung cancer. It does so by supporting critical research into the early detection and successful treatment of lung cancer, as well as by providing information, resources and a support community to patients and caregivers.
LUNGevity seeks to inspire the nation to commit to ending lung cancer.
For more information about the grants or LUNGevity Foundation, please visit www.lungevity.org.
About Lung Cancer
- 1 in 14 Americans is diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
- Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, regardless of gender or ethnicity
- Lung cancer kills almost twice as many women as breast cancer and more than three times as many men as prostate cancer
- About 55% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
- Only 16% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it’s caught before it spreads, the chance for 5-year survival improves dramatically