Dr. Abhijit Patel Receives 2024 Lung Cancer Early Detection Award from LUNGevity and Rising Tide Foundations

Research award supports transformative early detection technology to increase lung cancer-related survival rates

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation and Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research are proud to support Abhijit Patel, MD, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine, with the 2024 Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research / LUNGevity Foundation Lung Cancer Early Detection Award to dramatically reduce lung cancer-related mortality.  

Dr. Patel and his close collaborator, Steven Skates, PhD, at Massachusetts General Hospital, have developed an exciting technical breakthrough that accurately measures tiny amounts of DNA fragments from cancer cells that are in the bloodstream. With the funding of this research project, the team aims to further develop this technique by creating a model that links the presence of these fragments in the blood with the presence of lung cancer in patients. In addition, they are working toward creating an algorithm that tracks the changes in a patient's blood over time. Taken together, this work lays the groundwork for a routine blood test for lung cancer to detect it at its earliest stages when it is the most curable.

"This approach has additional advantages that can be a game-changer for the field of lung cancer," explains Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, executive director of LUNGevity Research. "For example, if this blood test is used with the current screening tests, it can detect some types of lung cancer, such as squamous cell, that are often missed by screening. Squamous cell lung cancer is typically diagnosed at late stages. It has a high mortality rate and few treatment advances in recent years. But if we can stage-shift the diagnosis of squamous cell lung cancer to the earlier stages, we could revolutionize patient care." 

The blood test the team is working toward is also likely to have benefits in the diagnosis of lung cancer. It could be used to clarify the status of incidental pulmonary nodules and help reduce the number of unnecessary lung biopsies or follow-up tests.

The likelihood of surviving for five years or more after a lung cancer diagnosis is 27%. But if lung cancer is caught early, before it spreads, the five-year survival rate jumps to 64% and in some cases is curable. Unfortunately, only 22% of lung cancer is diagnosed in the earliest stage of the disease. 

"There is a clear and pressing need to improve early detection of lung cancer," said Dr. Alexandre Alencar, head of cancer research programs at Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research.  "And here, we have dedicated researchers with a possible solution in hand. It will be exciting to see where this work takes us." 

LUNGevity Foundation and Rising Tide Foundation have joined together in this collaborative partnership to stage-shift lung cancer so that the majority of patients are diagnosed in the early stages of disease when it is most treatable. 

About Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research

Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research is a charitable, nonprofit organization established in 2010 and located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. RTFCCR's primary consideration in granting support is given to innovative, patient-centered clinical research. The long-term ambition of the foundation is to bring the maximum benefit in the shortest time possible to cancer patients. The foundation works toward this objective by fostering partnerships and striving to attract and support the best in Phase I to Phase III clinical trials. The foundation efforts are focused on the creation of less toxic therapeutic approaches, better disease burden management, earlier cancer detection, and innovative intervention strategies that will lead to increased quality of life and survival for patients.

For more information about Rising Tide, please visit www.risingtide-foundation.org/clinical-cancer-research.

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity, the nation's leading lung cancer organization, is transforming what it means to be diagnosed and live with lung cancer. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum.

• Through research, we use an innovative and holistic approach to finding lung cancer earlier when it is most treatable; advance research into new treatments so people may live longer and better; and ensure a diverse, vital pipeline of investigators for the future of the lung cancer field.
• Through advocacy, we foster groundbreaking collaborations to ensure all people have access to screening, biomarker testing, and treatment breakthroughs.
• Through community, we educate, support, and connect people affected by lung cancer so that they can get the best healthcare and live longer and better lives.

Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, Patient Gateways for specific types of lung cancer, a toll-free HELPLine for personalized support, international survivor conferences, and tools to find a clinical trial. All these programs are designed to help us achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization.

Please visit www.LUNGevity.org to learn more. 

About Lung Cancer in the US

• About 1 in 18 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
• More than 234,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, with a new diagnosis every 2.2 minutes.
• It is estimated that close to 65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people with no tobacco exposure or only past tobacco exposure.
• More lives are lost to lung cancer than to the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined.
• Only 27% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, but if it's caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves to 64%.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation