Hundreds of participants tuned in for LCRF’s first-ever virtual yoga event on Saturday, June 20, 2020. More than 900 people representing 43 states registered for the livestream, including 200 people who have received a lung cancer diagnosis – a record turnout of survivors for a single event.
As of event weekend, supporters have raised $54,000! You can still donate and support lung cancer research!
Watch the entire event below!
LCRF Executive Director Dennis Chillemi welcomed everyone and introduced Dr. Khinh Ranh Voong, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Voong, a previous recipient of an LCRF research grant, shared her insights about how research is shaping the future. (Dr. Voong’s introduction is at 26:40.)
Jaymie Bowles, joining from Georgia, told about her journey after being diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer two years ago. (Jaymie is introduced at 31:19.) She pointed out that she was wearing the color orange to represent “I have been given a diagnosis of lung cancer.”
Several others explained how the color they were wearing represented their connection to lung cancer. White means “I know someone with lung cancer.” The color turquoise means “I have lost someone to lung cancer.” Navy blue means “I support the fight against lung cancer.”
From her home near Chicago, yoga instructor Natalie Koberstein led meditation followed by a gentle yoga flow. (Yoga begins at 39:43.) Natalie lost her father to lung cancer five years ago and has been involved with Free to Breathe Yoga since its beginning.
Take a look at highlights from social media below!(Click to view full sized)
NEW YORK, NY (June 22, 2020) — The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) today announced that Trudy Oliver, PhD, has joined its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Oliver is an Associate Professor of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), where she has served since 2011, and is an HCI Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. Serving on a number of administrative committees, Dr. Oliver has also actively participated in several strategic initiatives at HCI.
Dr. Trudy Oliver
Dr. Oliver obtained her PhD in pharmacology and cancer biology from Duke University, working in Rob Wechsler-Reya’s laboratory. Following graduate school, she joined Terry Van Dyke’s laboratory at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and then completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Tyler Jack’s laboratory at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT before joining the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute in 2011. Her research is devoted to understanding mechanisms of cancer biology with a focus on lung cancer; she has developed novel mouse models of squamous and small cell lung cancer using experimental approaches including an integration of mouse genetics, molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, genomics, preclinical therapeutics and in vivo imaging.
Dr. Oliver is a 2018 recipient of LCRF’s Wiliam C. Rippe Award for Distinguished Research in Lung Cancer, which supported, in part, her laboratory’s continuing study of the MYC genetic alteration that drives how small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) tumors develop. Her research discovered that SCLC tumors caused by the MYC protein are more aggressive, spread faster and respond differently to therapy. Her team discovered that ADI-PEG20, an enzyme that breaks down the amino acid arginine, is highly effective in MYC-positive genetically-engineered mouse models and human patient-derived tumors, resulting in a promising breakthrough. She is also personally affected by lung cancer; her mother’s low-dose CT scan showed a nodule that they chose to monitor – which helps to fuel her passion for changing outcomes for patients living with lung cancer.
“I am excited to welcome Dr. Oliver to LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board and look forward to working with her to continue the Foundation’s commitment to funding outstanding lung cancer research and investigators,” said Dr. Katerina Politi, Chair of LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board. “Her commitment to improving outcomes for lung cancer patients is reflected in her work, and we’re thrilled she has joined us.”
Dennis Chillemi, Executive Director of LCRF adds, “Dr. Oliver’s expertise in lung cancer biology has already made a significant impact on the lung cancer community, and we look forward to her valuable input as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board.”
LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board includes renowned scientists, physicians and thought leaders spanning a broad range of disciplines in lung cancer research who leverage their collective experience and expertise to maintain the objectivity of the grant selection process and help to ensure that LCRF continues to fund research of the highest caliber. The group is responsible for the review of grant applications and providing opinions and strategic input to LCRF’s Board of Directors on relevant topics. Members are selected and recruited based on their level of expertise, prominence in the field of lung cancer research, and commitment to LCRF’s mission.
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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 provided $34 million in research grants to investigators around the world. In addition to funding lung cancer research, the organization focuses on lung cancer awareness and educational programs. The Foundation also hosts community events nationwide through its Free to Breathe® Events Program.
The American Cancer Society has recently updated their guidelines on diet and physical activity for cancer prevention. The guidelines serve as evidence-based recommendations individuals can take to reduce their risk of cancer. The key recommendations include:
Maintaining a healthy weight throughout the lifespan
Engage in physical activity as follows:
150-300 minutes or more per week of moderate intensity -OR-
75-150 minutes or more per week of high intensity
For children/adolescents: 60 minutes or more per day of moderate or high intensity
Keeping a healthy diet that limits or does not include:
Red and/or processed meats
Beverages with added sugar
Highly-processed foods and refined grain products
Avoiding alcohol or limiting alcohol consumption as follows:
For women: No more than 1 drink per day
For men: No more than 2 drinks per day
The guidelines also included actions the broader community can take such as increasing the accessibility of fresh and affordable foods, spaces for community exercise and leisure physical activity, and much more. Finally, the guidelines conclude with answers to common questions about cancer and cancer prevention such as the role of supplements, special diets and food preparation.
LCRF’s #Together Lung Cancer Community Talk on Thursday, June 11 focused on recent FDA approvals and what they mean for lung cancer patients. Our guest was Alexander Drilon, MD, a medical oncologist who treats lung cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Drilon is a 2012 LCRF grant recipient and a leading expert in clinical research in his position as Research Director, Early Drug Development.
After the talk, Risë Van Doosselaere offered an optional yoga flow for the group. (This section begins at 00:59:39 in the video.)
#TogetherSeparately livestreams provide an opportunity for the lung cancer community to connect face-to-face and discuss current issues and challenges. Watch the full livestream below. You can also download a PDF chat transcript.
Dr. Alexander Drilon joined our #TogetherSeparately Live Talk on Thursday, June 11, followed by yoga with Risë Van Doosselaere. Watch the recording below:
CURE® and LCRF partnered to bring top experts together for an informative webinar focused on topics that were highly relevant to lung cancer patients, caregivers, and research advocates. Watch the full one-hour webinar below.
Panel faculty:
Leora Horn MD, MSc Associate Professor & Clinical Director, Thoracic Oncology Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Cancer.
Jyoti D. Patel, MD Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University.
Ali Schaffer, LCSW Private Counseling Practice LCRF Patient Educational Programs Review Committee
The 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Scientific Program went virtual for the very first time in an unprecedented year for both the world and for lung cancer research. A timely six new FDA approvals came out right before ASCO, paving the way for a rich discussion and reasons to look forward to future progress. Below are some of the major highlights from ASCO 2020 and what the future holds for lung cancer research.
Non-small cell lung cancer
The #ADAURA trial presented at #ASCO20 addresses an important question: Why do we NOT give adjuvant therapy based on targeted molecular alterations, when we know that those drugs are better for patients in the stage IV setting? #lcsm
From Board Chair Dr. Brendon Stiles, sharing LCRF’s pride in the ADAURA trial
The much anticipated abstract and discussion of the ADAURA trial was presented by LCRF Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) member Dr. Roy S. Herbst and his colleagues. The ADAURA trial was a phase III trial looking at the efficacy of osimertinib (Tagrisso) as an adjuvant targeted treatment for early stage NSCLC patients with the EGFR mutation with or without standard chemotherapy treatment. The trial ended the double-blinded study design earlier than expected due to evidence that Osimertinib provides a 79% reduction in risk of disease or recurrence of disease. This trial is the first evidence in research showing a benefit to adding targeted therapy to the existing standard of care for this particular lung cancer patient group.
The GEOMETRY mono-1 trial presented at ASCO highlighted the ground-breaking work that went behind last month’s FDA approval of capmatinib (Tabrecta). Capmatinib is currently approved to treat NSCLC patients with the MET exon 14 mutation. The trial showed evidence that capmatinib can be used in both previously treated and treatment naïve patient groups with favorable safety profiles. Capmatinib is the first ever targeted therapy approved to treat the MET exon 14 mutation.
The LIBRETTO-001 trial presented another brand new targeted therapy for the RET mutation recently FDA approved. Selpercatinib (LOXO-292) used to treat NSCLC patients with the RET mutation showed significant disease improvement and tolerability, regardless of prior treatment. Two more targeted therapies are being studied and up for possible FDA approval to treat the RET mutation as well. An abstract by LCRF grantee Dr. Alexander Drilon and colleagues on the ARROW trial show promising evidence for TPX-0046 for a RET treatment. Out of the same ARROW trial, pralsetinib (BLU-667) was presented on, which showed successful treatment results for solid tumors containing the RET mutation.
There is much left to discover in the treatment space for lung cancer patients who do not respond well to immunotherapy or targeted therapy. An abstract presented at ASCO by LCRF grantee Dr. Diane Tseng and colleagues explored pathways to enhancing the immune system’s response to cancer cells. This work paves the way for better understanding how T cells can be mapped for use in lung cancer treatment.
Efforts continue to identify targeted treatment for NSCLC patients with the KRAS mutation, which occurs in upwards of 30% of all NSCLC patients. An abstract presented by LCRF grantees Dr. Kathryn Arbour, Dr. Mark Kris, Dr. Charles Rudin, and their colleagues shows promising results of an early phase clinical trial examining the use of a KRAS-G12C mutation (occurs in 12% of NSCLC patients) therapy. This is currently being compared to chemotherapy and immunotherapy to identify efficacy for this significantly large NSCLC patient group.
Small cell lung cancer
In 2018 the first ever immunotherapy treatment (nivolumab) was approved by the FDA for SCLC, a rare and aggressive type of lung cancer that hasn’t seen a new treatment approval in over a decade. Since then, researchers have been working diligently to examine adjuvant treatments for SCLC.
At ASCO 2020, LCRF SAB member Dr. Suresh Ramalingam and colleagues presented their abstract on the use of nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of extensive-stage SCLC. Their study showed that the addition of nivolumab provided a significant benefit without any additional safety issues. Nivolumab was originally FDA approved only as a third-line treatment for SCLC.
Proving similar, the KEYNOTE-604 trial was presented by LCRF SAB member Dr. Charles Rudin and his colleagues, on the addition of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to chemotherapy treatment as a first-line treatment for extensive-stage SCLC. The combined use of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy showed prolonged overall survival versus chemotherapy alone.
Looking ahead to the future of lung cancer research
ASCO 2020 highlighted the blossoming diversification of lung cancer treatment options. As we begin to understand more about biomarkers (mutations) we will continue to see progress on the identification of personalized treatments. Historically, lung cancer was seen as a homogenous group with no differentiation between patient groups within. The advent of personalized medicine has completely changed the way we think about lung cancer. More than ever we are identifying the unique patient groups within the lung cancer space. Research exploring the adjuvant treatment setting will continue to thrive and identify the safest and most effective combinations of treatment.
ASCO abstract sources:
Abstract #3087 Diane Tseng, Stanford – Discovery of a novel shared tumor antigen in human lung cancer
Abstract Dr. Roy Herbst – Osimertinib as adjuvant therapy in patients (pts) with stage IB–IIIA EGFR mutation positive (EGFRm) NSCLC after complete tumor resection: ADAURA
June 7, 2020 is National Cancer Survivors Day, and LCRF is grateful to survivors like John Doll, who shared his experience as a lung cancer patient. John, as a patent examiner and commissioner for patents in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, was intimately aware of drugs developed specifically for cancer treatment. Hear directly from John about the importance of research for drug design and development in treating lung cancer and why he supports the work of LCRF.
