News

Lung cancer research grant mechanisms open for submission, with three new tracks

NEW YORK, NY (marzo 14, 2022) – The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) announced today that its 2022 funding mechanisms are now open for submission.

In addition to its long-standing request for Pilot Grant proposals, LCRF has added three new grant tracks in 2022 aimed at furthering its commitment to funding investigators who are dedicated to finding solutions to the most pressing issues in lung cancer, including: early detection, gaining an understanding of and finding new approaches to treat specific molecular subsets of lung cancer and addressing inequities in the careers of investigators from underrepresented groups in cancer research.

“We are pleased to be announcing this year’s Requests for Proposals,” said Katerina Politi, PhD, Chair of LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board, Cancer Biologist and Associate Professor at Yale’s School of Medicine. “LCRF’s unwavering commitment to funding projects that explore novel approaches to treatment, tackle disparities, increase the diversity of the lung cancer research workforce and support science that seeks solutions to lung cancer’s most vexing questions is reflected in the grant mechanisms this year. I look forward to the innovative proposals that will come to LCRF for review.”

The 2022 LCRF Research Grants on Oncogenic Drivers in Lung Cancer is a new funding mechanism to support projects that focus on characterizing, identifying, treating, overcoming, or preventing resistance to therapies in tumors harboring alterations in oncogenic drivers in non-small cell lung cancer cells, tissues, mouse models or patient tumors. These projects are led and funded in partnership with the patient advocacy groups EGFR Resisters, KRAS Kickers and MET Crusaders. This mechanism will address important issues faced by patients whose tumors have these specific oncogenic driver mutations, with the aim to increase survivorship.

LCRF’s Research Grant on Early Detection and Pre-Neoplasia in Lung Cancer is focused on identifying, characterizing, and developing approaches that will detect lung cancer at the earliest stages. Given the significance and need for early detection of lung cancer and advancements in screening, LCRF has launched this funding mechanism to support research projects that facilitate or advance the understanding and characterization of pre-neoplasia or approaches for early detection, in non-small cell and small cell lung cancer.

The newly launched LCRF Minority Career Development Award (CDA) for Lung Cancer is a two-year career development award intended to support early-stage scientists from underrepresented groups working in lung cancer and working in diverse areas of research including basic, clinical, translational, disparities, and social determinants of health research. The objective of this award is to increase the number of highly skilled and trained researchers from groups that are historically underrepresented in academia, medicine, and leadership in lung cancer research. This program aims to increase representation of investigators from underrepresented groups in lung cancer research.

Each of these funding mechanisms will award $150,000 over two years for selected projects, and all mechanisms except the LCRF Minority Career Development Award will be reviewed through a two-step process: Letters of Intent will be accepted until midnight on abril 30, 2022; if selected, investigators will then be chosen to submit full proposals following a rigorous review. The LCRF Minority Career Development Award will require full proposal submission and that deadline is midnight, may 27, 2022. More details about each of the Requests for Proposal, along with eligibility, requirements, and deadlines can be found at LCRF.org/funding.

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About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF)
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 394 research grants, totaling nearly $39 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information about the LCRF grant program and funding opportunities, visit LCRF.org/research.

Contact:
LUNG CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Sheila Sullivan
Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications
ssullivan@lcrf.org

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo^®) in combination with chemotherapy for adult patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the neoadjuvant setting.

This approval marks the first and only immunotherapy-based treatment for use before surgery for NSCLC.

In second year of partnership, groups introduce 2022 grant mechanism for EGFR positive lung cancer

NEW YORK, NY (marzo 10, 2022) – The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) and the EGFR Resisters, in their second year of a research award partnership, announce their intent to fund at least two new grants specific to EGFR positive lung cancer in 2022.

In 2021, the EGFR Resisters funded one of LCRF’s Pilot Grants awarded to Yang Tian, PhD, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, whose research project is titled “Targeting lung lineage plasticity to suppress Osimertinib-induced drug-tolerant persisters.” Although there has been an increase in progression-free survival in patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer due to targeted therapy with EGFR TKIs (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, commonly known as TKIs), the cancer eventually develops acquired resistance.

The EGFR Resisters and its members are responding to the urgent need for additional research to combat treatment resistance by partnering with LCRF on a new oncogenic-driver specific grant track in 2022.

“Patient led and funded research can uniquely address the specific unmet needs of patients,” says Jill Feldman, co-founder of the EGFR Resisters. “When patients are true partners in research, we can provide input that will drive research that is important and meaningful to our community.”

“Research has come so far since I was diagnosed in 2013, but we still need more options,” added Ivy Elkins, also a co-founder of the EGFR Resisters. “Through the strength of our motivated and active community of patients and caregivers, we have this opportunity to directly impact the research in EGFR positive lung cancer.”

For the new grants available, the members of the EGFR Resisters raised more than $200,000 for lung cancer research in 2021 and are targeting a total of $300,000 for 2022.

“The passion and commitment of patient groups to advance lung cancer research is unmatched,” remarked Dennis Chillemi, Executive Director of LCRF. “The EGFR Resisters are trailblazers in this respect and have led the way for other patient groups to speed the advancement of research that will directly impact the survival of patients with lung cancer. LCRF is honored to be a partner with the EGFR Resisters in achieving this goal.”

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About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF)
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 394 research grants, totaling nearly $39 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information about the LCRF grant program and funding opportunities, visit LCRF.org/research.

About the EGFR Resisters
Founded in 2017 by six patients and one caregiver, the EGFR Resisters is a grassroots, patient-driven community of patients and caregivers living with and/or personally affected by EGFR positive lung cancer. The group has a closed Facebook group for members to connect and share best practices, and it communicates with the broader EGFR community through a website, monthly newsletter, and social media. With close to 3,500 members in almost 90 countries, the EGFR Resisters aims to improve outcomes for all those with EGFR positive lung cancer by supporting patients and caregivers, increasing awareness and education for community members, improving access to effective diagnosis and treatment, and accelerating and funding research. The mission of the EGFR Resisters is to understand the unmet needs of the community and to use the strength of collaboration to drive important research questions and fund novel research and clinical trials. For more information about the EGFR Resisters, please visit egfrcancer.org.

Contact:

LUNG CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Sheila Sullivan
Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications
ssullivan@LCRF.org

EGFR Resisters
Laura Book
Media Contact
egfrresisters@gmail.com

Dr. Hilary Robbins, who received a 2020 LCRF Research Grant on Disparities, recently published a viewpoint piece in JAMA Oncology on equity in lung cancer screening eligibility.

Dr. Robbins writes that while the United States Preventive Services Taskforce’s updated recommendations will increase the low-dose CT screening of black patients, the disparity in life-years potentially gainable compared with white patients is still at least 15%. She discussed three possible models that could be used to create equity in lung cancer screening, while pointing out flaws in each approach. She believes that the scientific community must develop or find new solutions to achieving equity, and that other marginalized and excluded groups should be included.

Read her article here.

Groups join forces to fund MET mutation cancer-specific research

NEW YORK, NY (febrero 28, 2022) – The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) and MET Crusaders are pleased to announce a partnership aimed at funding much needed MET cancer research. Together they pledge to fund two projects in 2022 that focus on this specific oncogene.

The MET gene is in chromosome 7 in the cells of the human body. Within the MET gene are the instructions to produce the MET protein, which is broken into segments called Exons. When all the Exons are properly executed in sequence, the normal MET protein is produced. In the case of cancer driven by MET, there is an alteration in the MET gene causing an error in the production of the MET protein. This production error prevents its degradation or causes excessive tyrosine kinase activity, resulting in cancer cells growing unchecked. There are four major categories of MET protein alterations: mutation, amplification, overexpression, and fusion. MET alterations tend to appear most in adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but they can also be seen in squamous NSCLC. About 5% of lung cancer patients have MET exon 14 skipping. A lower percentage of patients have MET amplification.

MET Crusaders are a community of lung cancer patients, care givers, advocates, researchers, and physicians dedicated to helping patients with the MET alteration live normal lives. “Furthering research to help patients with a MET alteration is a huge task and takes an army of like-minded individuals,” said John Hallick, president of the MET Crusaders. “Partnering with LCRF allows us to leverage their expertise in funding innovative research to fulfill the MET Crusader’s mission of helping people with MET mutations live longer and better lives.”

“We are delighted to partner with MET Crusaders,” said Dennis Chillemi, LCRF Executive Director. “This collaboration will give us a better understanding of this particular mutation, uncovering more treatment options for these patients by accelerating research discovery.”

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About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF)
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 394 research grants, totaling nearly $39 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information, visit LCRF.org.

About MET Crusaders
MET Crusaders is a patient advocacy group focused on MET driven cancer. The MET Crusaders mission is to help all MET patients, regardless of location, race, or socio-economic class, live a normal life. This mission is accomplished through community, education, research, and advocacy. MET Crusaders is a trade name of the MET Cancer Foundation, a 501c3 charitable foundation.

Contact:

Lung Cancer Research Foundation
Sheila Sullivan
Senior Director, Marketing & Communications
ssullivan@LCRF.org

MET Crusaders

John Hallick
President
john.hallick@metcrusaders.org

Isabel Preeshagul, DO, MBS, and Jia Luo, MD, joined us feb. 16 for an important discussion about Covid-19 and lung cancer: how it affects people with lung cancer, how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, how to manage symptoms, and considerations for lung cancer treatment.

Both are thoracic oncologists, with Dr. Preeshagul serving at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Dr. Luo at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Watch the recording below.

Learn more about #TogetherSeparately

LCRF applauds the commitment of the White House to making cancer a livable condition rather than a death sentence; reducing cancer death by 50% in the next 25 years, as President Biden announced yesterday with the reintroduction of the Cancer Moonshot.

“At LCRF, we’re committed to funding the research that will make this possible for the approximately 500,000 people living with lung cancer in the United States today,” said Dennis Chillemi, LCRF Executive Director. “It has been our mission since our inception and remains our true north to this day.”

Funding for research that leads to treatment breakthroughs is crucial to reaching the goal set by this initiative. Combined with improved detection, better access to affordable care, and community supports, we are encouraged by this renewed commitment to cancer patients, their caregivers, and the community that surrounds them.

Groups join forces to fund KRAS mutation cancer-specific research

NEW YORK, NY (enero 31, 2022) – The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) and KRAS Kickers are excited to announce a partnership aimed at raising much needed funds for research. Together they to pledge to fund at least one two-year grant in 2022 with the goal of improving outcomes for people with KRAS-mutant lung cancer.

KRAS is the most common mutation in non-small cell lung cancer patients, making up about 30% of driver mutations in lung adenocarcinoma. KRAS was considered undruggable until last year’s FDA approval of sotorasib, which targets KRAS G12C, a small subset of KRAS-mutant cancer. Even with the approval of sotorasib, the bulk of patients with the KRAS mutation do not have a first-line drug therapy, underscoring the need for additional research for more treatment options to bring hope to this large subgroup of lung cancer patients. LCRF is proud to have funded nearly $1.3 million in KRAS-specific lung cancer research to date.

KRAS Kickers is a non-profit patient founded organization with a mission to connect people to current research, resources, and community to kick cancer’s KRAS. KRAS Kickers empowers patients, brings doctors and researchers with cutting-edge information together in an approachable virtual patient community.

“Having KRAS brings us together as KRAS Kickers,” says KRAS Kickers founder Terri Conneran, who was diagnosed with KRAS lung cancer in 2017. “This is one of the alliances for KRAS Knowledge, Research, Advocacy for Survivorship. We choose to work together, for better KRAS lung cancer treatments.”

“We are thrilled to work with KRAS Kickers,” said Dennis Chillemi, LCRF Executive Director. “Partnering with this extraordinary group will no doubt allow us to better understand this particular mutation and uncover more treatment options for these patients. We are confident that this partnership will accelerate research discovery in this area.”

Donate towards KRAS-specific research

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About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF)
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF) is the leading nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has funded 383 research grants, totaling nearly $36 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information, visit lcrf.org.

About KRAS Kickers
KRAS Kickers is a non-profit for people impacted by any KRAS oncogene cancer, including patients, survivors and all who care. Empowering people with KRAS Knowledge, Research, Advocating and Survivorship. KRAS is the cancer mutation in one third of all cancers. Including the three deadliest, lung, colorectal and pancreatic. The KRAS Kickers are a community for all people that want to better understand and find best treatments.

The American Cancer Society just released its annual Cancer Facts and Figures, and it included good news about lung cancer. More lung cancer is being detected early, and that’s contributing to the increasing survival rates for patients.

Overall cancer mortality rates have dropped steadily for nearly two decades, and a big part of that success is the progress in early detection and treatment options for lung cancer. Lung cancer deaths are declining faster than the overall trend. Cancer mortality in general dropped about 2% each year between 2015 and 2019, while lung cancer mortality dropped 5%.

LCRF announces 2022 Request for Proposals

Lung cancer research grant mechanisms open for submission, with three new tracks

FDA approves nivolumab with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment for certain patients with resectable NSCLC

LCRF and EGFR Resisters announce request for abstracts

In second year of partnership, groups introduce 2022 grant mechanism for EGFR positive lung cancer

Contact:

LCRF grantee publishes piece on equity in lung cancer screening

LCRF and MET Crusaders Announce Partnership

Groups join forces to fund MET mutation cancer-specific research

Contact:

#TogetherSeparately: Covid-19 & Lung Cancer Update

LCRF applauds reintroduction of Cancer Moonshot

2014 LCRF grantee identifies potential therapeutic option for SCLC

LCRF and KRAS Kickers Announce Partnership

Groups join forces to fund KRAS mutation cancer-specific research

2022 Cancer Facts and Figures shows increase in lung cancer survival rates