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#TogetherSeparately
The information below is available as a free download.
View a joint statement from LCRF and other lung cancer groups: lcrf.org/coronavirus.
Sign up for a virtual conversation about COVID-19 and you on Thursday, March 26 at 12 PM EDT: lcrf.org/together.
LCRF is committed to helping lung cancer patients, your families and caregivers, especially at this critical time when the lung cancer community may be among the most vulnerable. Below are some tips for keeping yourself and your loved ones healthy and safe.
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that affects your breathing and spreads from person-to-person contact. How it affects each person varies from mild to severe illness or death. Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment for COVID-19. The majority of individuals who get COVID-19 experience mild illness that can be monitored at home. Individuals who experience severe illness need to be hospitalized.
It is critically important to practice what is called “social distancing.” This means you stay inside your home as much as possible and avoid any non-essential gathering where you will be in close contact with others. Reducing the amount of people you come into contact with will reduce your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19 to others. Social distancing is especially important if you are feeling symptoms.
If you must travel outside of your home for important medical appointments, etc. please keep at least 6 feet distance between you and others, cover your coughs or sneezes with a disposable tissue, and avoid touching your face and others with unwashed hands.
Please talk to your doctor about if you need to change how or when you receive your current treatment(s). Your doctor will make the decision on how to deliver your care safely and effectively while keeping you safe from COVID-19.
Individuals at high-risk for severe illness should get tested if they develop new symptoms beyond any underlying medical conditions they already have. High-risk individuals include:
NOTE: If you are at high-risk for severe illness and experience these common symptoms please call your doctor right away. Your doctor will decide if testing is right for you.
If you have any questions or concerns you should speak with your doctor. Questions to consider asking your doctor can include:
Sources:
Please note that the information presented here is not intended to substitute for medical advice provided by your healthcare team. We encourage you to speak with your doctor or nurse about your specific health questions or concerns.
Page last updated March 25, 2020
The National Lung Cancer Roundtable (NLCRT) convened the First National Summit on Lung Cancer Stigma on February 26-27 in Atlanta. The summit’s goal was to organize and build momentum for a sustained effort to end lung cancer stigma and its adverse impact on lung cancer care and outcomes across the lung cancer care continuum. Given the evidence demonstrating the toll of stigma on lung cancer risk reduction, early detection, treatment, and survivorship, there is a clear and convincing need for a strategic plan to establish coordinated national and local efforts to confront and eliminate lung cancer stigma in every setting and in every form.
The summit drew 65 participants from 42 organizations, including Dennis Chillemi, LCRF Executive Director, and Dr. Joan H. Schiller, Board Member and Chair, Scientific Steering Committee. Those gathered included lung cancer survivors and caregivers, cancer clinicians and researchers, patient advocacy organizations, professional medical societies, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies. “The Lung Cancer Research foundation is committed to working with the NLCRT and its members to develop and implement a national strategy to end lung cancer stigma,” said Chillemi.
Attendees shared their experiences and knowledge, as well as initial ideas for ending lung cancer stigma. The program began with a summary of the history and current status of lung cancer related stigma across the care continuum. Lung cancer survivors, caregivers, and clinicians shared personal stories and perspectives on lung cancer stigma. The first day ended with an overview of the evidence on how lung cancer stigma influences patient care and outcomes.
With lung cancer survivors and advocates integrated across all discussion groups on day two, attendees engaged in extensive dialogue on central issues that must be addressed. The summit concluded with a strong commitment by participants to work towards eliminating lung cancer stigma by banding together and generating a blueprint for reaching that goal. The NLCRT and summit participants will continue to organize efforts and will propose a comprehensive strategic plan to end lung cancer stigma at the 4th annual NLCRT meeting on December 7-8, 2020 in Washington, DC.
See highlights from the summit:
A DIY fundraiser brought together friends and family for a “Paint and Sip” at Pinot’s Pallette in Edgewater, NJ.
Maria Villalobos coordinated the event to honor her father, Pedro. He had loved painting, and his 64th birthday celebration in February 2018 was held at Pinot’s Palette. He passed away from lung cancer the following December.
Maria shared that her family had raised funds for research through LCRF’s Free to Breathe Walk since her father’s diagnosis, and decided they wanted to do more. Painting together for a purpose seemed the perfect way to mark what would have been his 66th birthday.
To find out more about creating your own fundraiser, visit lcrf.org/fundraise-your-way.
At just 45, Michael is facing stage IV lung cancer. “My story started with pain in my arm when we were about to take a family trip to Alaska,” he said. “A doctor told me my arm was okay, but he wondered how long I’d been coughing. He ordered a chest X-ray and told me to see my primary care physician when I got back.”
Michael was still coughing when he returned home. Even more disturbing, he found himself out of breath one night while on a short walk. After checking back with his doctor, he saw a pulmonologist and underwent a CT scan.
He was shocked to discover he had lung cancer that had already metastasized to his liver, bones, and possibly his brain. “I’ve always strived to make healthy decisions – exercising, eating right, and never smoking – which made the news especially surprising to me,” he explained. “At the time, I didn’t realize that lung cancer can affect anyone.”
Michael deteriorated quickly as he went through more analysis. At one point, he was rushed to the emergency room with a suspected brain bleed. Fortunately, there was no bleed and no cancer in his brain. Eventually, he received his full diagnosis: stage IV non-small cell lung cancer with an ALK mutation.
Thanks to research, ALK-targeted therapies have been developed that have allowed Michael to take a pill — at least to start — as opposed to other more familiar and devastating forms of treatment. Many people eventually develop a resistance to those therapies in a short amount of time, however. That’s where continued research comes in, striving for new medications and treatment regimens that can act as alternatives or help patients avoid developing resistance.
“LCRF has been a great source of hope for me and other people affected by lung cancer, because the organization is funding the next generation of researchers who are discovering those better treatment options.”
Michael’s wife Janis and their children want to have many more years with him. Through February 29, Michael’s family is doubling all donations, up to $10,000.
“Being here tomorrow means the world to me and my family,” he said. Help Michael and others like him by making a gift of any amount. You can make twice the impact. Donate today at lcrf.org/Michael.
ASCO recently published its 15th annual report on Clinical Cancer Advances in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The report details the advances made in clinical research and highlights key areas of research progress that improves cancer outcomes. Several of these key advances are from lung cancer research. Read below for the details:
The use of “local consolidative therapy” radiation after surgery may provide up to three times as much progression-free survival for patients versus those who undergo standard maintenance or observational treatment.
In March 2019, atezolizumab (Tecentriq) was FDA approved for first-line treatment of extensive-stage SCLC (in combination with chemotherapy). This treatment approval is the second approved treatment for this aggressive type of lung cancer.
Durvalumab and Pembrolizumab was shown in clinical trials to extend overall survival for advanced non-squamous NSCLC, a lung cancer diagnosis that occurs in 20-30% of all lung cancers. Providing better standard treatment options for such a commonly occurring disease is critical.
As progress in lung cancer research continues to accelerate, we are looking forward to this year’s ASCO Annual Meeting and hearing updates from many of LCRF’s talented investigators and Scientific Advisory Board members.
The LCRF fitness community, Team LCRF, will be part of two endurance events in New York City this year. Team LCRF athletes train for events such as marathons and triathlons while raising funds and awareness for lung cancer research.
On Sunday, May 3, Team LCRF bikers will participate in the 2020 TD Five Boro Bike Tour. This is the largest bike ride in the United States, where 32K cyclists of all skill levels come from around the world to bike through every borough of New York City on streets totally free of cars. Get started by filling out this form.
Then on Sunday, November 1, Team LCRF will take part in the 50th TCS New York City Marathon. This will be our 2nd year as an official charity partner with the marathon. Last year’s group included runners honoring loved ones, as well as two former LCRF grantees, Drs. Balazs Halmos and Kwok-Kin Wong. Together they raised over $50,000 for lung cancer research!
If you are interested in running the marathon with Team LCRF, fill out this form.
Any goal-oriented fitness activity can be turned into a fundraiser. Running, swimming, biking, mountain climbing…you name it! Visit lcrf.org/fundraise-your-way to learn more and join our Team LCRF community.
According to preliminary findings from a small study presented Monday at the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ annual meeting, a new drug ‘lights up’ stray lung cancer cells when looked through an imaging technique, reducing cancer recurrence post-surgery. In fact, the study found that the new combination—dubbed intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI)—helped improve outcomes in surgeries of 1 out of 4 patients.
Though not involved in the study, LCRF Board Chair Brendon M. Stiles, MD, recently shared his thoughts on the study with HealthDay. He told the media outlet that the potential for the new technology is “exciting” for certain types of early lung cancer lesions that aren’t easy to see or feel. “There really shouldn’t be any side effects; it’s fast and user-friendly,” said Dr. Stiles. But he added that the technology may be somewhat limited because near infrared light doesn’t see deeply into the body.” Pre-op imaging has gotten so amazingly good, we’re finding earlier and earlier cancers. It’s hard to think they’d find nodules that weren’t on the CT scan.”
Click here to read the full article and learn more about the study.
Hundreds of participants—lung cancer patients, survivors, and advocates, young and old— took part in the 2019 New York Free to Breathe Walk last October. On event day, dozens of walkers were greeted with a hug from the same woman, Catherine Paykin, LCSW-R. Catherine, a social worker at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, was the common link between so many of the smiling faces at this year’s walk. She was team captain for NYU’s 2019 team, NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center Clinical Trial Blazers, recruiting a team of a whopping 175+ members over the course of just a few short months!
Catherine, like so many Free to Breathe team captains, is a go-getter. In a short amount of time, she raised over $50,000, 10 times her original fundraising goal!! And do you know what’s even more amazing? This was her first time as a team captain!
So how did Catherine do it? In addition to inviting her patients, she recruited Audrey Sheridan, LCSW from the Brooklyn Perlmutter Cancer Center to rally forces in Kings County. Together they enlisted the help of eight NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center doctors, who in turn invited their patients to walk with them. And Catherine didn’t stop once people joined the team! She continually encouraged team members to set up their own personal fundraising goals and reach out to their family and friends for donations. She also provided updates to her team members on the top fundraisers and offered tips to help the team hit their next fundraising target.
Becoming a top fundraiser is much more doable than it might seem. Just keep Catherine’s words in mind: “Walking and raising money for research was a concrete way of letting my patients and families know that they are not alone. Our team of scientists, researchers, healthcare providers who joined the patients and families to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge gave all hope and encouragement.”
New York, NY (January 22, 2019) – The Lung Cancer Research Foundation® (LCRF), the largest lung cancer focused foundation in the US supporting lung cancer research, has unveiled its newly revamped website, lcrf.org. The recently updated website has a fresh visual design, offers easy navigation and is mobile optimized.
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. To date, LCRF has funded 370 research grants totaling nearly $34 million, the highest amount provided by an organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research.
The organization’s website rebuild was spearheaded by Speak Creative, a Tennessee-based digital agency. The site unifies LCRF’s quality content with the viewer, the lung cancer community, in mind. The homepage of the site contains three specific journeys— lung cancer patient/caregiver, lung cancer researcher and supporter/advocate—to help visitors navigate and easily obtain the information they are looking for.
“We are so proud and excited to debut our redesigned website,” said Dennis P. Chillemi, Executive Director, LCRF. “We hope that the new design will make for a more enjoyable user experience. Our goal is to make sure that visitors can easily find the information they are looking for, whether it’s information on the current research we are funding, the latest FDA approvals, or registration for an upcoming lung cancer community event.”
LCRF’s website will be updated regularly with new content including the latest lung cancer treatment advances, upcoming events and educational workshops, and updates on LCRF’s Scientific Grant Program and LCRF-funded investigators. Viewers can visit the new site and explore LCRF’s content by visiting www.lcrf.org.
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About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation
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 370 research grants, totaling nearly $34 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. In addition to funding lung cancer research, the organization offers awareness and educational programs and brings the lung cancer community together through Free to Breathe Walks and other events nationwide. For more information, visit lcrf.org.
