NikoleV

Nexavar (Sorafenib) Fails in Overall Trial but Looks Favorable for EGFR Mutation-Positive Patients http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/10/19/so ... fr-subset/ October 19th, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West Nexavar (sorafenib), an anti-angiogenic pill-based “multi-kinase inhibitor” targeted therapy that is FDA approved in some other cancers such as renal cell and liver cancer, hasn’t been the subject of much discussion in lung cancer over the past few years. Early research done years ago in metastatic lung cancer showed that this agent has at least some activity in NSCLC, but it showed no benefit in the subsequent ESCAPE trial of Nexavar in combination with first line chemo. It did show encouraging results in KRAS mutation-positive advanced NSCLC (though this work wasn’t validated by more recent work that showed no benefit in this population), and also showed activity as a single agent for at least some patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC. But the results of a larger randomized MISSION trial of Nexavar with supportive care vs. placebo with supportive care as third or fourth line treatment for advanced NSCLC, presented at the annual conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in Vienna, revealed no benefit for overall survival. There was, however, an apparent benefit in the subset of patients with an EGFR mutation who received Nexavar. In the MISSION trial, 703 previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC were randomized to receive either Nexavar at the standard dose of Nexavar at 400 mg by mouth twice daily or placebo on the same schedule, along with supportive care for all patients. Those receiving Nexavar demonstrated a significantly higher response rate (P < 0.001) and a superior disease control rate (significant tumor shrinkage or stable disease) (P < 0.001) and progression-free survival ( (P < 0.0001), but they didn’t have any improvement in the primary endpoint of overall survival. In addition to the full analysis of all of the patients on the trial, half of the patients enrolled on the MISSION trial had EGFR and KRAS mutation data available from tumor tissue or serum samples. Within that group, 26% of patients had an EGFR mutation, and 20% had a KRAS mutation. These mutations were balanced between the two arms of the trial. Despite some of the prior work suggesting that Nexavar may be effective for KRAS mutation-positive NSCLC, there were no differences in outcomes with Nexavar in that group. However, the 89 patients with an EGFR mutation on Nexavar did show an approximately four-fold higher probability of not progressing at a given time point (HR 0.27; P <0.001) and an approximately two-fold higher probability of remaining alive at a given time point (HR 0.48; P = 0.002). For the EGFR mutation-positive subset, the median overall survival was than doubled in the Nexavar arm (423 days vs. 197 days). While these results for the EGFR mutation-positive subset look very encouraging, the relatively small numbers and fact that this was an unplanned subset analysis means that this won’t lead to Nexavar being approved as a later line of therapy for this population. Any regulatory agency or insurer would say that this question requires a full-fledged prospective trial just for the EGFR mutation-positive subgroup. Unfortunately, even if that trial is developed, it will be many years before any results become available. But for now, with Nexavar being commercially available already, I suspect I won’t be the only oncologist interested in trying to obtain it for my EGFR mutation-positive patients. Whether it will be covered, or whether patients would want to pay for it if it isn’t covered, is a very open question.

Hi Survivors! We're starting to plan for Hope Summit 2013 and we need your help. Several people enjoyed the pulmonary rehabilitation guest speaker at Hope Summit 2012, but the information was a basic overview. We are looking to bring back a pulmonary rehab. speaker in 2013, but would like to have a more detailed presentation. What do you look for in regards to pulmonary rehab? (Ex: lung exercises, ways to catch your breath) Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

LUNGevity Foundation Applauds FDA Approval of Abraxane® as Additional Tool in Arsenal for Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer http://events.lungevity.org/site/PageNa ... 01212.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Victoria Shapiro vshapiro@susandavis.com (202) 414-0774 Micro-miniature particles of chemotherapy will be used as first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer WASHINGTON (October 12,2012) – LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit, applauds the FDA approval of Abraxane® for advanced cases of non-small cell lung cancer providing a much-needed new option for these patients. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common form of lung cancer, representing 85% of lung cancer cases, and in the majority of patients it is diagnosed in locally advanced or metastatic stages when it is more difficult to treat. “At LUNGevity our goal is to extend patients’ lives and improve the quality of their lives, and Abraxane® has the potential to impact both,” said LUNGevity Foundation President Andrea Stern Ferris. “Abraxane® is already approved for patients with metastatic breast cancer. We are pleased to see its benefits extended to patients with non-small cell lung cancer, a widespread and difficult-to-treat form of the disease.” LUNGevity Foundation, as the largest private funder of lung cancer research in the United States, places a high priority on lung cancer research that can directly improve patients’ lives. Clinical studies have demonstrated that Abraxane® is effective as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. A further look at specific groups of patients showed that Abraxane® can improve response to treatments in patients with one of the most difficult forms of lung cancer to treat called squamous cell lung cancer. “It is exciting to see advancements come to market for this group of patients which has been under-served,” said Stern Ferris. Personalized medicine, including new genetic testing and molecular analysis, is helping to better match some patients to the treatments that are best for them. However, in cases where these tests do not point to a specific treatment for lung cancer, a new option such as Abraxane® is critically important for patients who have the most urgent need for new options. 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 http://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

Making it Personal October 10th, 2012 - by Juhi Kunde http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/10/10/ma ... -personal/ A few days ago, as I was at the grocery store digging through my purse, the cashier finished ringing up my purchases. As is the custom at this store, she asked, “Would you like to support the cause of the month? This month it is breast cancer.” They never say the name of the charity or offer any information about how they chose the charity. So, as a rule, I never make a donation. Distracted by my daughter pulling on my leg and the nagging ache of forgetting my coupons, I declined with a shake of my head and continued hunting for the appropriate credit card. Finally, with my Visa in hand, I focused on the cashier for the first time. I was stunned. She wore several bright pink feathers in her hair, dangly pink earrings, a blindingly pink T-shirt and a long necklace full of pink charms. “It’s October” I said to myself, “and I just told her I didn’t want to support breast cancer patients.” I felt like a jerk. “So, obviously, you support breast cancer awareness,” I said to the cashier. She nodded as she finished bagging my groceries. “Yes, I sure do. Two of my aunts and a cousin had it, but they caught it early, so they are fine now. My grandma wasn’t so lucky.” Now I felt like an even bigger jerk. And I had no idea what to say. I tried nodding in understanding and smiling compassionately as she handed me the receipt. But I couldn’t look her in the eye as I turned to walk away. This incident happened almost a week ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It was powerful. I never donate to the grocery store’s cause of the month – but this month I feel guilty about it. This month is different because the cashier chose to put her views out in the open. By wearing so much pink and openly demonstrating her support for the cause, she made it personal. She let people know that she has a stake in this cause. And by not donating, I felt as though I’d let her down, personally. I applaud her for her strength and commitment. And I think we can learn from her. By letting others see that we strongly support LUNGevity and lung cancer research, we can make it personal too. We can let people know that their support for lung cancer research matters to us, personally. November, the official Lung Cancer Awareness Month, is right around the corner. So grab a “Breathe Deep” hat , fill up a LUNGevity-branded water bottle, and pull on a “Stop Lung Cancer Now” T-shirt. It’s time for us to let people know — this is personal.

ASCO Lung Cancer Highlights: Question and Answer Session Podcast October 12th, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/10/12/as ... a-session/ Several recent posts here have presented the podcast summary pieces from a full webinar after ASCO 2012 that covered the highlights in lung cancer as summarized by Drs. Mark Socinski from the University of Pittsburgh and Joel Neal from Stanford Cancer Center. The last part of the live program, and therefore the last edited podcast from it, covers the excellent question and answer session together. This covering a wide range of leading topics in lung cancer from ASCO, in which we actually candidly discussed what the results actually mean to us and our clinical practice of treating lung cancer patients. Here’s that Q&A session. (Click on link above to view podcast links.) ASCO LC Highlights 2012 QA Session Video Podcast ASCO LC Highlights 2012 QA Session Audio Podcast ASCO LC Highlights 2012 QA Session Transcript ASCO LC Highlights 2012 QA Session Figs We hope you found our series of podcasts from this live event to be helpful and informative. Please drop a comment with any questions, or just to let us know if there was a clear favorite topic from this series, or one that you had hoped would be covered but wasn’t.

Bavituximab: A Great Story that Turns Out Too Good to be True October 5th, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/10/05/ba ... o-be-true/ A few weeks ago was the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, where there doesn’t tend to be many breakthrough results presented, but often a few nuggets of exciting new work are presented. The main story was the relatively disappointing results of the PointBreak trial, one positive trial became a quick darling of the media. Dr. David Gerber from the University of Texas-Southwestern in Dallas presented results from a randomized phase II trial in previously treated advanced NSCLC, in which patients received either Taxotere (docetaxel) alone or in combination with one of two doses of the novel immunotherapy bavituximab. The excitement came from the fact that a doubling of overall survival (OS) was reported, alongside a less striking but still provocative improvement in response rate (RR) and progression-free survival (PFS) for the bavituximab-containing arms vs. chemo alone. Unfortunately, there’s more to the story. Bavituximab is an immunotherapy directed against the tumor’s blood supply. Administered IV once every week, it is an antibody to phosphatidylserine (PS), a phospholipid that is normally expressed internally on endothelial cells (the cells lining blood vessels) and not exposed externally, but which flips over in the cell membrane and becomes exposed to the blood supply within a tumor’s microenvironment and also by chemotherapy. Exposed PS is thought to inhibit an anti-tumor immune response; bavituximab binds to PS and is hoped to improve an anti-tumor immune response and reduce the tumor’s blood supply. The phase II trial was designed to enroll 120 patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC, who would be randomized to Taxotere every three weeks with either placebo or a lower or higher dose of bavituximab administered weekly. This study capped the duration of Taxotere at 6 cycles (though there is no clear standard of capping the number of treatments in previously treated patients), with patients continuing on weekly maintenance bavituximab or placebo until progression. Previously reported RR and PFS results appear favorable if not amazing astounding. In the Taxotere alone arm, the RR was 8% (3 of 38) on the placebo arm, vs. 15% (6 of 40) for the lower dose and 18% (7 of 39) on the bavituximab arms. While certainly favorable, we often tend to see RR numbers in phase II trials that are higher than you see in large phase III trials, with results in the 20% or higher range not that uncommon in the smaller studies (remember that in a small study, the difference in outcome for a few patients here or there will make a very big difference). PFS outcomes also favored bavituximab, though relatively modestly. Here, the median PFS duration was 3.0 months for Taxotere/placebo, vs. 4.2 and 4.5 months for the arms receiving Taxotere with the lower and higher doses of bavituximab, respectively (differences not statistically significant). Here are the PFS curves: (Click on link above to view graph) What really generated interest at the Chicago lung cancer meeting was the difference in OS, which was double for the bavituximab arms, at 5.6 months in the Taxotere + placebo arm vs. 11.1 and 13.1 months for the lower and higher doses of bavituximab, respectively. A similar trend of benefit was seen across all subgroups, whether based on histology, patient sex, race, or performance status. The survival curves are as shown below. (Click on link above to view graph) Another important factor with regard to the performance of the combination is the side effect profile, but there was really NO discernible pattern of increased side effects with the Taxotere/bavituximab combination compared with Taxotere/placebo, though there wasn’t a detailed presentation of the side effect data in Dr. Gerber’s presentation. Unfortunately, there was a follow up statement from the sponsor company, Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, about two weeks later that acknowledged irregularities in the integrity of the survival data and suggested that people shouldn’t trust the data. The stock market responded with a swift crushing of the company, and at this point, it’s unclear whether there is really enough truth of potential value in bavituximab to justify it continuing in a larger, phase III study. At the same time, even if it actually is an effective drug, the reputation of the drug and Peregrine may be irreparably damaged. Time will tell, but in the meantime, it’s a humbling example of not being able to trust something that seems too good to be true. We can only hope this doesn’t taint the trust of the clinical research process for other drugs and trials too much.

Janet - I am so sorry to read what you have been going through the past couple of months. I have been thinking about you and hate to hear what you have endured recently. I read your post and I don't see a person giving up, I see someone taking a rest for a little while to recoup from everything you have gone through. Hang in there - I know deep down inside you do have hope & the strength to get through this difficult time! Best, Nikole

LUNGevity invests in vital research to find lung cancer earlier and treat it more effectively. Hear why breast cancer survivor Lynne Eldridge, MD, continues to be an ardent lung cancer advocate and why she values LUNGevity's approach to providing support and funding research.

Hope Summit Survivor and caregiver talk about lung cancer and LUNGevity and the importance of support.

Invaluable Volunteers Working to End Lung Cancer http://events.lungevity.org/site/PageNa ... 00312.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Victoria Shapiro vshapiro@susandavis.com (202) 414-0774 Nation’s largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit honors Chicago-area natives with the Kay Barmore Volunteer Award CHICAGO (October 3, 2012) – LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit, is delighted to announce Mark Carlinsky and Lynda Fisher as the co-honorees of its 2012 Kay Barmore Volunteer Award. Kay Barmore was one of the original seven founders and a long-time Board member of LUNGevity, always dedicated to finding more effective tools for diagnosing and treating the often lethal disease. LUNGevity President Andrea Stern Ferris notes, “Kay lost her battle with lung cancer, but her spirit and determination live on in all of the dedicated volunteers without whom the hard work of ending lung cancer would not be possible.” This annual award will be presented at LUNGevity’s Fall Benefit, “One Voice, One Hope,” on November 3 at Venue One, 1077 West Randolph St., Chicago. Awardees are recognized for their extraordinary passion to eradicate lung cancer, active involvement for two or more years, and impact on raising awareness and resources for the cause and LUNGevity. Both Lynda and Mark bravely share their personal stories of this devastating disease and emphasize the need for more research to increase the number of survivors and put an end to the terrible toll lung cancer takes in our communities. Mark Carlinsky was inspired to contribute his time and energy to LUNGevity when his wife Lisa was diagnosed with the disease in April 2006. The couple began their involvement the next year, while Lisa was still in treatment, and his dedication to beating lung cancer continued after her death less than two years later. Mark has remained a motivated and motivating volunteer throughout the years, while dealing with the turmoil lung cancer has caused for him and his family. Mark is very active in raising both awareness and funds, having been a team captain and active volunteer for Breathe Deep Naperville, helping to secure funding for numerous Chicago-area events, and playing a key role in developing the Dress Down Chicago program. He also courageously shared Lisa’s and his experiences with lung cancer, bringing a vital personal perspective to encourage others to support the cause. An active volunteer since 2002, Lynda Fisher is an almost 11-year survivor of lung cancer. As a never-smoker, she was shocked to be diagnosed with non-small cell adenocarcinoma when a 10 cm grapefruit sized tumor was found in her lung. She was also stunned by the horrifying statistics associated with the disease, including its 16% 5-year survival rate. Despite a Stage IV recurrence in 2007, Lynda has remained a dedicated volunteer, determined to make a difference for all of those fighting lung cancer. She actively friend- and fund-raises for the annual Fall Benefit and connects with other survivors all over the Chicago area, offering them hope and sharing the resources LUNGevity offers as they face lung cancer. She also actively participates in walks to raise awareness and funds, most recently having put together a 60-person team for Breathe Deep Deerfield. A two-time lung cancer survivor, Lynda shares her story of hope openly and broadly to raise awareness and funding for research. Lynda and Mark are true ambassadors of LUNGevity Foundation. 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

Molecular Targets in Lung Cancer: Not Just for Adenocarcinomas Anymore September 25th, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/25/mo ... s-anymore/ Dr. Neal’s last topic in his ASCO 2012 Lung Cancer Highlights summary covered a couple of presentations on molecular targets for squamous NSCLC. Long overlooked as focus has turned to adenocarcinomas or other non-squamous subtypes more and more, squamous NSCLC has largely been defined over the past few years by all of the things not appropriate for it: Avastin (bevacizumab) due to excessive bleeding risk, Alimta (pemetrexed) because of a lack of activity, molecular testing for an EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement due to a low probability of a positive result. But here Dr. Neal reviews emerging research that suggests that there are indeed potentially treatable molecular targets in squamous NSCLC, and that this work should lead to many new trials and therapeutic options for this subset of patients in the coming years. Below you’ll find both the video and audio podcasts for this short program, along with the transcript and figures. Click on the link above to view the video and audio links. Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Molec Targets Squamous NSCLC Video Transcript Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Molec Targets Squamous NSCLC Audio Transcript Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Molec Targets Squamous NSCLC Transcript Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Molec Targets Squamous NSCLC Figs Very soon I’ll have the question and answer program that will complete this series from the ASCO Highlights webinar. I hope it’s been helpful and interesting.

Dietary Supplement Use During Lung Cancer Treatment September 25th, 2012 - by admin http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/25/di ... treatment/ Discussing the Controversy Regarding Dietary Supplement Use During Lung Cancer Treatment. by Jessica Iannotta MS, RD, CSO, CDN Chief Clinical Officer, Meals to Heal As a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition, I often am the first to discover that a patient is taking a dietary supplement. Often it may be well into treatment before it is identified that this particular supplement may interact with the patient’s chemotherapy regimen. Although supplementation can be controversial, it is important to understand why and how to address your concerns with your medical team. Controversy regarding dietary supplements The role of dietary supplements during lung cancer treatment is a continuous debate among health professionals. Often this debate is centered around the lack of quality evidence to substantiate their safety and efficacy. Historically, there has been little evidence to support the safe use of dietary supplements. As their use has gained more popularity, there is a growing body of research regarding their safety and efficacy. One such source is the Natural Standard Database, which is not available to the general public. Free consumer access is available on certain websites, including Meals to Heal’s Nutrition Resources section. The Natural Standard database details the current state of evidence on a wide range of botanicals, supplements and alternative therapies, ranking them according to the strength of the evidence. In addition, the Natural Standard database includes common uses, as well as possible herb-drug interactions and side effects. Dietary supplements verses whole foods Even though supplements can fill the gap of nutritional needs, they can never fully replace a balanced diet that includes whole foods. Eating whole foods in their natural form is the most beneficial. In fact, it has been found that many of the benefits from fruits and vegetables are not only from the vitamin and mineral content. Whole foods are in fact good sources of thousands of phytochemical compounds that supplements do not always possess. The cancer fighting properties of whole foods consist of many molecules compared to a supplement, which is typically comprised of only one molecule.1,2 Lung cancer patients are advised to be cautious when considering dietary supplement use, as vitamin and mineral supplements are not substitutes for established medicine. Although supplemental intake of essential vitamins and minerals could seem desirable, it may not be beneficial, as each person and cancer case is unique. It is important to consult a physician before taking any dietary supplements, because it is possible that potential interactions may affect the outcome of treatment.3 In particular, results from a large trial known as the ATBC study (Alpha tocopherol, beta-carotene cohort study) found that lung cancer patients who took beta-carotene supplements and had a history of smoking had increased risk for mortality. In addition, popular antioxidants like vitamin E were also shown to have no benefit for lung cancer patients.4 Supplementation with ginger, on the other hand, has been shown to be beneficial for treatment-induced nausea and vomiting, a common side effect of many lung cancer treatments. 5 How to use the right knowledge In summary, it is important to research the safety and efficacy data of supplements before using due to their uncertain effects and possible interactions with lung cancer treatments. Speak openly with your oncology team before taking supplements or following diets that appear beneficial. Your medical team may not always ask you what supplements you may be taking or are interested in taking. Therefore, it is important that you regularly communicate with your healthcare team in order to make the decision that best meets your needs and is compatible with your treatment plan.

ASCO 2012 Highlights: Exploring Adjuvant Tarceva for EGFR Mutation-Positive Resected NSCLC September 24th, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/24/se ... ighlights/ Dr. Neal led a provocative clinical trial that he presented at ASCO 2012, so it’s only fitting that he also provided a summary of the work and its implications in our program onLung Cancer Highlights from that meeting. SELECT is a phase II trial that looked at adjuvant (post-operative) Tarceva (erlotinib) for patients with resected early stage EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. Results were preliminary, and it’s a single armed trial, but it revealed several important concepts about feasibility and the potential utility of post-operative Tarceva for this patient population. Here are the podcasts from his summary of this work, in both video and audio versions formats. Below are also the transcript and figures for the program. Click on the link above to view the podcasts. Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 SELECT Trial Adjuvant Tarceva Video Podcast Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 SELECT Trial Adjuvant Tarceva Audio Podcast Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 SELECT Trial Adjuvant Tarceva Figs Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 SELECT Trial Adjuvant Tarceva Transcript The final topic of discussion will be appearing here shortly, on molecular targets for squamous NSCLC. We’ll then finish the ASCO Highlights series with the question and answer session that followed the presentations by Drs. Socinski and Neal. Look for those soon.

ASCO 2012 Highlights: Breaking an Impasse for KRAS Mutation-Positive NSCLC September 22nd, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/22/se ... -pos-nscl/ Dr. Joel Neal provides further highlights from ASCO 2012 with his summary of a novel therapy for KRAS mutation-positive advanced NSCLC, the most common molecular marker in NSCLC. A new treatment with activity for KRAS mutation-positive NSCLC is particularly welcome, since this is a group for which we haven’t had effective treatment options. Dr. Neal reviews the very promising work with the MEK inhibitor selumetinib combined with Taxotere (docetaxel) vs. Taxotere alone for KRAS mutation-positive advanced NSCLC. Efficacy certainly appears encouraging, but this appears to come with a price of increased side effects that may prove to be prohibitively challenging. Still, just breaking the impasse of having something favorable for this underserved population is a welcome advance. Below are the video and audio versions of the podcast, as well as the transcript and figures for this program. Click on the link above to view the video and listen to the audio. Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Selumetinib KRAS mutn pos Adv NSCLC Video Podcast Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Selumetinib KRAS mutn pos Adv NSCLC Audio Podcast Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Selumetinib KRAS mutn pos Adv NSCLC Transcript Dr. Neal LC Highlights ASCO 2012 Selumetinib KRAS mutn pos Adv NSCLC Figs Next, we’ll get Dr. Neal’s discussion of the controversial topic of post-operative EGFR inhibitor therapy for EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC after resection of an early stage cancer.

Dr. Joel Neal on anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy and Afatinib for EGFR Mutation-Positive Advanced NSCLC September 14th, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/14/dr ... -afatinib/ We’ll continue with more post-ASCO highlights, now switching from Dr. Socinski to Dr. Joel Neal, who is an Assistant Professor at Stanford Cancer Center in Palo Alto, CA. Dr. Neal reviewed a series of presentations on targeted therapy options that are not yet in broad clinical use but are working their way through clinical trials. Perhaps the most exciting of these was the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy introduced by Dr. Julie Brahmer in a podcast several months ago. Dr. Brahmer led and presented the work on anti-PD-1 in lung cancer at ASCO, but she wasn’t able to share her exciting early results prior to that meeting, so here Dr. Neal provides both some background and a summary of the results that were so encouraging to the lung cancer community. Click on the link above to view the podcasts and figures. Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 Anti-PD-1 Video Podcast Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 Anti-PD-1 Audio Podcast Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 Anti-PD-1 Figs Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 Anti-PD-1 Transcript Dr. Neal also covered the LUX-Lung 3 trial, an international study that randomized advanced NSCLC patients with an EGFR mutation to either afatinib, an “irreversible pan-HER inhibitor” that might represent an advance over the current EGFR inhibitors currently available, or standard chemotherapy with cisplatin/Alimta (pemetrexed). You can learn more from his summary, but it essentially showed the same results we’ve seen with the currently available EGFR inhibitors Tarceva (erlotinib) and Iressa (gefitinib). The question remains whether survival with afatinib actually exceed what we might expect from Iressa and Tarceva, except in terms of side effects, which were more severe and more common with afatinib. Still, it was a statistically positive trial that I expect will lead to an FDA approval and the commercial availability of afatinib for this clinical population. Here’s Dr. Neal’s coverage of the trial, in both video and audio podcast form, as well as the associated transcript and figures for the podcast. Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 LUX-Lung 3 Video Podcast Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 LUX-Lung 3 Audio Podcast Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 LUX-Lung 3 Figs Dr. Neal ASCO LC Highlights 2012 LUX-Lung 3 Transcript What next? Very soon I’ll share Dr. Neal’s review of a trial featuring the MEK inhibitor selumetinib for KRAS mutation-positive patients available. But for now, what do you think of these results with PD-1, as well as afatinib? Would you be inclined to favor afatinib now if you had an EGFR mutation, or would you favor Iressa or Tarceva instead? How much does your answer depend on the survival results for the afatinib?

Celebration of Science and Keeping the Party Going September 19th, 2012 - by Susan C. Mantel http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/19/ce ... rty-going/ I recently spent a remarkable weekend seeing the results of two decades of investment in scientific research across many different areas of healthcare. This amazing event, called “A Celebration of Science” was organized by Faster Cures, and included 1,200 attendees from 200 organizations. Participants represented the NIH, NCI and other public and private research institutions; the FDA; leading advocacy groups; patients who shared the impact of scientific advances on their lives; philanthropists; the pharmaceutical, biotech, and device industries, and many of our elected representatives. The week-end was designed to “honor individuals whose work saves, improves and extends lives, and those who make that work possible,” including patients who participate in clinical trials and those who share their stories. Above all, it was designed to really make the case for why investing in research is a smart decision in any economy. Research creates jobs in the lab and through new types of science-related businesses. Even more importantly, by saving lives and improving quality of life for those affected by various diseases, it results in a more productive workforce and society. Like all of us in the lung cancer trenches, I want progress in lung cancer to be much further and faster than it has been, and I remember thinking the first afternoon–when I saw the statistic that the overall five-year cancer survival rate is now 66%–“lung cancer is still so far below that.” But being with all of these brilliant people dedicated to making life better through science, hearing how thoughtful and determined they were to continue innovating along all the aspects of the scientific continuum, and seeing some honest-to-goodness breakthroughs gave me so much hope! I was also reminded of how all these advances build off each other. For example, the cost of sequencing the human genome the first time was about $3 billion and took over a decade. Now it’s less than $10,000 and takes a couple of weeks, with $1,000 sequencing in days in sight. This is turning the conversation to “precision medicine,” which was brought vividly to life by a set of twins who were successfully treated for a genetic defect—going from minimal muscle control and other grave challenges as children to competitive teenage athletes today. Then a couple of days after the meeting, the squamous cell lung cancer findings from the Cancer Genome Atlas were published. Until this year, most of the advances in lung cancer treatment through targeted therapies were happening in adenocarcinomas. With about 400,000 people dying of squamous cell lung cancer worldwide each year, this is another area of urgent need. And more than 60% of the tumors had mutations that are potentially “druggable” with medicines in development for other cancers. So, we have new information with which we can potentially DO something. The “what” has a “so what”. Furthermore, this form of lung cancer is only the second common cancer type for which a genetic analysis was performed as part of the Cancer Genome Atlas. Attention is being paid! The Celebration showcased so many other tremendous advances, including in fields like HIV (did you know about “the Berlin patient”—the first known case of someone cured of HIV?), brain imaging, and research and rehabilitation of our wounded soldiers. Yes, these areas all still have unmet needs, and we have miles to go in areas like Alzheimer’s, traumatic brain injury and PTSD, and, of course, lung cancer. Ultimately, though, we are living in exciting times of progress and collaboration, where continued investment in research is yielding progress of which generations before us could only dream. I can’t wait for the “Amazing Advances in Lung Cancer” session at the “Celebration of Science” event of the future! Susan C. Mantel

Paper Flowers for Lung Cancer Awareness September 19th, 2012 - by admin http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/19/pa ... awareness/ Ashley is 11 years old. She lives in Pennsylvania and her grandfather suffers from a lung related illness. She found LUNGevity Foundation while researching lung related charitable organizations online as part of a project for her gifted class. As an avid crafter, Ashley decided to make tissue paper flowers for a fund raiser to help support lung cancer research. She asked the principal of her school for permission to request donations for her charity during recess. Parents, classmates, and even some of her teachers gave generous contributions in return for the beautiful paper flowers. She was so successful that she ran out of flowers on the second day and had to enlist her sister and mother to help her make more over the weekend to take to school! Below is a copy of the letter and photo that Ashley sent into LUNGevity. Thank you Ashley!

We Need Your Help! LUNGevity has partnered with The Lung Cancer Project to do research that will help us better understand the social psychology of lung cancer. At the foundation of the project is a short online test that can help us uncover what patients, caregivers, doctors and the general public think about people with lung cancer. How You Can Get Involved: Click here http://www.thelungcancerproject.org to take a short test; it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. Why This Research Project is So Important: Did you know that many people with advanced lung cancer never receive cancer care, far more than for any other type of cancer? Emerging research suggests that specific perceptions of lung cancer such as stigma, blame and hopelessness may be a factor. How It Helps the Lung Cancer Community: You will receive results at the end of the test that reveal your own perceptions of lung cancer, and these anonymous results will be part of a larger research study that will help us to determine if subconscious biases exist for lung cancer, and if so, to understand why people are biased, how those biases impact lung cancer care and to address misperceptions of lung cancer. For more information on The Lung Cancer Project, visit http://www.thelungcancerproject.org. Thank you for your support on this important Project.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/22111 ... d-Research WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- It's thought of as a "smoker's disease," but now more than half of all lung cancer diagnoses are in non-smokers. With 160,000 deaths a year, lung cancer remains by far America's top cancer killer. Thursday morning, lung cancer survivor Joey Smith and LUNGevity Foundation President Andrea Stern Ferris shared some good news about the fight against this disease, and more on a special event Friday night. See our interview with them above. The Musical Celebration of Hope Gala happens Friday at 7 p.m. at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium at 1301 Constitution Avenue NW in D.C. Go here for more details: http://hopegala.lungevity.org/

Should We Tell? September 12th, 2012 - by Juhi Kunde http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/12/should-we-tell/ I am drained and tired. I have nothing to write about. My ideas are stupid and my words are cliché. I can barely draft a complete sentence. Why am I so fried? Because I just found out someone dear to me has cancer. I keep trying to read as much as I can about it. But all I have is the generic name of the cancer. And I can only go so far with that on Google. I need more information but the family is reluctant to tell me more. They know that I will attempt to gain control of the situation. They know that I will be up late at night scouring the millions of cancer pages on the internet for hidden answers. So, they speak in circles and make me dizzy with worry. I wonder if it could be a cultural thing – an Indian thing. Maybe it’s an artifact of immigration. Or perhaps it’s just that modern families are often spread across the country or even across the world. In so many families the question arises: Should we tell them? Whatever the specifics, the basic scenario is the same: the family is split-up. Typically, the parents still live in their home while the kids have grown up and moved away. Then the inevitable case of poor health strikes someone, somewhere. And the question rears its ugly head. Most families have an unspoken understanding of some sort. Often minor illnesses, such as colds and ear infections, are safe to keep from the rest of the family but anything requiring a cast or hospitalization should be disclosed. In these situations, most family members want to hear the news, however bad it is. But sometimes the other family members are unwilling to burden them. They don’t want them to worry. They don’t want them to spend hours on the internet instead of working. They don’t want them to buy expensive last-minute airline tickets. But they also don’t want to lie. So they tell partial truths. Or they “forget” to mention the critical details. Or they pretend the reports have been delayed. The irony is that all these antics to avoid causing worry could be causing far more concern than the naked truth would have. Obviously, my preference is for sharing the complete truth but I know there have been situations where I had to think long and hard about who to tell and how much to tell them. What about you? Did you have to decide how much to tell your family about your cancer journey? Did you have to decide whom to tell? How did you make these difficult decisions?

Shakin' It Up!! To End Lung Cancer http://events.lungevity.org/site/PageNa ... 91312.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Victoria Shapiro vshapiro@susandavis.com (202) 414-0774 Nation’s largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit hosts its inaugural Mixology event in Pittsburg, PA, September 20, 2012 WASHINGTON (September13,2012) – LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit, is excited to announce additional, premier Mixologists for its first Pittsburgh event, the first-ever Shakin’ It Up cocktail (and mocktail) competition in Pittsburgh on September 20—a fun and exciting twist on the mixology competition to celebrate today’s healthier lifestyles and build awareness and raise critical dollars for lung cancer research. Top mixologists in the Pittsburgh area, including Colin Anderson, Bar Marco; Tara Shinn, Cioppino Seafood and Steakhouse; Kevin Saftner, James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy; Marie Perriello, Stir Society; Allie Contreras, Verde; Kory Husson, Plum Pan-Asian Kitchen; Mike Mills, Meat & Potatoes; Stephen "Stevie P" Pacacha, Liquid Flair, LLC; and RaeLynn Harshman, Dish Osteria and Bar, will compete to create a signature cocktail using unique mixers and finishing with their magical secret ingredients to leave you wondering what made it so scrumptious! We are deighted to have Penn 1681 as the spirit sponsor for the event. The real fun will come when guests and celebrity judges, including such names as Michael Green, former Wine and Spirits Consultant of Gourmet Magazine, and Bill Toland, reporting on spirits, liquor, cocktails, and bars for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, pick the top awards: the People’s Choice Award and the Judges’ Award. Join us for drinks, appetizers, live auction, raffle and music. Along the way you may learn what makes a good drink great. “I am thrilled to be a part of such a unique event,” said Michael Green. “The quality and interest in healthy cocktails and mocktails has increased dramatically throughout the past few years, and I cannot wait to taste the creations from some of Pittsburgh’s best bar chefs. I am proud to be part of this event and support the great work of LUNGevity.” The September 20th event will start at 7:00 pm at the Jay Verno Studios, 3030 Jane St., in Pittsburgh’s Southside. At 9:00 pm the live auction will start, followed by the announcement of the Mixology winners. In addition to the tasting area and entertainment center, VIP Sponsors will be invited to the judges’ lounge where you can meet the judges and get insider tips on Mixology. "We are delighted to be hosting an event in Pittsburgh. Our goal is to support the community touched by lung cancer. Together we will build momentum towards stopping this disease." said LUNGevity Foundation President Andrea Stern Ferris. 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 http://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

LUNGevity Foundation Applauds AACR Cancer Progress Report 2012, LUNGevity Spokesperson and Lung Cancer Survivor Monica Barlow to Speak at Release Briefing Conference Today http://events.lungevity.org/site/PageNa ... 91212.html FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Victoria Shapiro vshapiro@susandavis.com (202) 414-0774 Foundation Representatives Available for Interviews 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 http://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

The PointBreak Trial: Boiling results down to four key points. September 8th, 2012 - by Dr. Jack West http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/08/pointbreak/ This year at the 2012 Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology that’s just ending, one bit of new information was the presentation of the long-awaited PointBreak study. Specifically, the trial pitted Alimta (pemetrexed)-based first line and maintenance chemo against the well-established standard first line and maintenance therapy regimen. It randomized 939 first line advanced non-squamous NSCLC patients either 4 cycles of the “Patel regimen” of carboplatin/Alimta/Avastin (bevacizumab) followed by maintenance Alimta/Avastin (as studied in the early study, led by Dr. Jyoti Patel, that piloted the combination) or 4 cycles of the “Sandler regimen” from the ECOG 4599 trial that established the superior survival for this strategy over chemo alone, of carbo/Taxol (paclitaxel)/Avastin followed by maintenance Avastin. The primary objective of the trial was to demonstrate significant superiority in terms of overall survival (OS) for the Patel regimen with Alimta compared with the Sandler regimen with Taxol. While the trial failed in that regard, it did provide what I would consider to be four valuable conclusions. 1) Patients did marginally better on the Patel regimen while they were receiving first line therapy. I don’t want to overstate it, because the differences are truly minimal, but as you can see from the curves below, the progression-free survival (PFS) is a little better for the Alimta-based regimen. Admittedly, however, with a median PFS difference of two weeks (6.0 vs. 5.6 months, hazard ratio 0.83) and really no difference in objective response rate (34% vs. 33%), I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a clinically significant difference. 2) Overall survival was completely overlapping between the two regimens. As shown in the figure below, the OS curves for the two arms travel together and just cross over each other multiple times. One may beat the other numerically at a single point in time, but the only trend is that they really travel together. 3) Despite the widely held perspective that the Alimta-based chemo combination is especially well-tolerated, the side effect profiles of the two regimens also didn’t demonstrate a clear winner. In my mind, even without showing a significant survival difference, I would say that the Alimta arm could have demonstrated some superiority for showing equivalent efficacy with notably lower side effects. That didn’t happen. As expected, there was more neuropathy and hair loss with Taxol, but the Alimta arm showed a little more of a drop in blood counts with Alimta. Overall, even the side effect profiles appeared more similar than different and failed to declare a “secondary winner” 4) You can make the argument that the Alimta/Avastin combination was superior to Avastin alone in the maintenance therapy component of the trial. In keeping with the results from the AVAPERL trial that revealed significantly superior PFS (and OS not reported out yet) for maintenance Alimta/Avastin vs. Avastin alone after first line cisplatin/Alimta/Avastin, both PFS and OS are longer (by 1.7 and 2.0 months, respectively) when restricting our review of results only to the 63% of patients who went on to maintenance therapy (the others dropping off because of progression, prohibitive side effects, or other complications), as shown in the figures below. This was a pre-specified question that the investigators wanted to address, though it wasn’t the main question of the trial. In real life, when we’re making recommendations about what treatment to start with, we can’t know which patients will do well through first line chemo and which ones won’t. Despite the difference in efficacy of maintenance therapy, at the end of the day, there wasn’t a significant difference in overall survival when you add in the patients who dropped off before maintenance. And then, there is an equalizing effect from post-trial subsequent therapies, though less than 2/3 of patients received further therapy, when these are patients we’d have really generally hoped and expected should have received further treatment (in trial after trial, we consistently see fewer patients received with second line and later systemic therapy than oncologists believe they’re treating). Patients assigned to the Alimta arm were significantly more likely to get Taxotere (docetaxel) afterward, and patients assigned to the Taxol arm were significantly more likely to get Alimta afterward (as you’d expect). So what does it all mean, at the end of the day? Over the past few years, many lung cancer experts (including this one) have tended to favor carbo/Alimta/Avastin over the established ECOG 4599 trial regimen because we felt it was extremely likely to be at least as good if not significantly better than the carbo/Taxol/Avastin regimen. Indeed, it was just as good, but the PointBreak trial disabuses us of the notion that it might be significantly better, even with the advantage of giving what truly appears to be a more effective maintenance therapy with the Alimta/Avastin combination. At the same time, many of us who treat lung cancer patients every time might have estimated that there would be significant advantage in terms of side effects for the Alimta regimen compared with the Taxol regimen. The actual evidence doesn’t support that conclusion either. With the dust settling now, I’d say that the PointBreak trial leaves us with the idea that it’s appropriate to continue to do exactly what you’ve been inclined to do. Some people will value the Alimta regimen because of the much lower risk of neuropathy and hair loss, while others will favor Taxol as being well established, considerably less expensive, and achieving results completely comparable to the carbo/Alimta/Avastin regimen overall. You can make a good argument that for patients who get as far as the maintenance portion, patients are better served by the Alimta/Avastin combination than Avastin alone, and that remains my preference, though we can also look forward to getting a more direct test of maintenance therapy strategies from the ongoing important ECOG 5508 trial. I think a leading question now is whether insurers will use the results to justify refusing to pay for the more expensive Patel regimen when the evidence indicates that patients can experience the same survival with the less expensive Sandler regimen. We’ll have to see how our pre-authorizations change in the next few months. Do these results lead you to feel comfortable with either regimen, or do you clearly favor one? If you had to pay more to receive the Alimta-based regimen, would you accept a significant co-payment to cover the difference?

Celebrating 6 Years of LIFE September 7th, 2012 - by admin by Lois Green http://blog.lungevity.org/2012/09/07/ce ... s-of-life/ I am a runner and I diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006. I didn’t have any risk factors. I was relatively young and healthy and by sheer luck at a company health fair I was encouraged to see a specialist for my asthma. The rest is history. The year that followed my lung surgery was EPIC!!! The support from my friends, family and colleagues was OVER THE TOP! The letters I received are treasures etched in my heart forever. I ran my next marathon 9 months after surgery with my daughter Tara at my side through every mile. We raised $20,000 for LLS. That was incredible! But not everyone is as lucky as I was to have found their lung cancer in its earliest stage, or have the support from friends and family during their cancer experience. Lung cancer impacts one in 14 Americans and kills more than breast, prostate, colorectal and pancreatic cancers combined. Currently, only 16% of people diagnosed with lung cancer survive 5 years post-diagnosis, a percentage significantly lower than that for each of these other cancers. While colon, breast, and prostate cancer all have reliable early detection tests, lung cancer does not. About 55% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked. I was one of them. Lung cancer claims approximately 160,000 lives per year. Less than $2,000 of Federal research dollars are spent for every lung cancer death, compared with $25,000 for breast cancer and $12,000 for prostate cancer. The media focuses on a variety of cancers, but often overlook lung cancer because of the stigma associated with the disease. Many people think that smokers should know better and expect related health problems when they smoke. As a nation we don’t give enough attention to lung cancer treatment and prevention. And the public should know that never smokers get lung cancer too. Anyone with lungs can get it, like me. Earlier this year I attended a friends dinner party where I was among several doctors and their spouses. We had finished dinner so I excused myself from the table to indulge in the variety of desserts only to discover on my return that I was the topic of conversation for being a lung cancer survivor and a runner. The doctor sitting next to me turned and said “You’re a lung cancer survivor? That is amazing because when most people are diagnosed with lung cancer it is already too late.” That moment raises an emotion in me, and I am reminded of how lucky I am. On May 4, 2012, I attended the annual HOPE Summit for LUNGevity in Washington D.C. On arrival we meet with everyone we bonded with from last year and it is more exciting when we learned the attending lung cancer survivors has tripled in attendance this year! The HOPE Summit Agenda is always packed with fascinating people and events. The second morning of the summit I entered the conference room and “HOPEtastic” was everywhere. Survivors who have written books had brought copies to share. Keynote speakers shared their incredible stories, research doctors educated us on many topics, and media were there to video personal testimonies. Randall Broad, Author and stage III lung cancer survivor reminded us all that “It’s An Extraordinary Life..Don’t Miss It”. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Randy told his story. Jorge Gonzalez was 47 when he was diagnosed with stage III lung cancer on May 28, 2011. He was young, relatively healthy and a non smoker without risk factors. He is married with two daughters and treasures the time with his family. Jorge says, “The biggest fear I had when I was diagnosed was over my family. I didn’t know what to do so I made arrangements, I wanted to make sure things were taken care of incase I didn’t survive this.” But he did. “Everyday above ground is a good day.” Then there was Sara Ratzenberger, who arrived in a wheel chair with an iv and nasal cannula for added oxygen. Nothing was going to stop this brave little girl, young lady, from attending the HOPE Summit. Sara came with every ounce of determination. She is stage 4, 1.5 year Survivor. When I see Sara on Facebook, she is pure Sunshine and lives every day to the fullest. Sara is pretty with blonde hair, blue hair (for LUNGevity) or sometimes very little hair. We all love Sara. When I am less motivated to run, I peek in on Sara and I have sudden purpose. Sara recently had a second thoracotomy. I recall the tender moment after my surgery, when I could barely open my eyes. My Dad, (who was a smoker) came in my room alone and placed his hand on mine over the iv and said “I hope I didn’t do this to you”. “No Dad, you didn’t.” People!! This is NOT a smoker’s disease. Lung cancer does not discriminate. I cannot fathom a second thoracotomy. I had a pity party when my ICU nurse assisted me out of bed for my first walk on the metal walker. With lines/tubes extended from neck, my arm, my waste, and my back, I sobbed in those first steps until my nurse *Mary* said “Lois, you will run again”. When HOPE Summit concluded our cup runneth over with friendship, renewed spirit and Hope. I didn’t write a book. I wasn’t a keynote speaker. I didn’t arrive in a wheel chair. I never had chemotherapy or radiation. My dear friend who I worked with in the East Greenbush plant is going through chemo right now. I asked him to describe chemo to me. The list was long and he concluded with “Lois, I’m going to be a survivor like you.” Our survival inspires others and gives other’s Hope too! On November 4, 2012, I am running the New York City Marathon with my daughter Tara and my dear friend Jenny Lee. We are representing The LUNGevity Foundation. LUNGevity is the largest lung cancer nonprofit funding research into early detection and effective treatments of the disease. Our fundraising commitment is $8,000. The President of LUNGevity, Andrea Ferris, personally invited me to their first entry in the NYC marathon. Our mission is to raise awareness that LUNG CANCER IS THE NO. 1 CANCER KILLER and if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. I’m not a loyal sports fan. I have my favorite teams, but when the event is near I always find myself routing for the under dog. This is how I feel about LUNGevity. I have been given the platform to raise the awareness NOW.. LUNGevity’s mission is to improve survival rates and promising research for early detection. That will save lives! Will you join me in the fight against lung cancer? Every step is a step closer to a cure. I believe in you…Thank you to my friends, family and supporters (and LUNGevity!) for believing in me. Lung cancer didn’t just happen to me. I believe it happened for me -so that maybe I can make a difference against this disease and for others. With LUNGevity, I have HOPE. August 31, 2012, I celebrated LIFE and 6 years of being lung cancer free! Please celebrate with me by showing your support of lung cancer research. Please donate http://events.lungevity.org/goto/teamgreen