LUNGevity Foundation Receives Major Grant for Education Initiative

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation is honored to announce a grant of $250,000 from Bristol-Myers Squibb for the development of educational materials on immuno-oncology. Progress in understanding lung cancer and treatment approaches has accelerated dramatically in the past several years after many slow decades. While no immunotherapeutic drugs are currently approved for lung cancer, this new area of research is very active, with Bristol-Myers Squibb one of the frontrunners in the field.  Immuno-oncology treatments are different from other lung cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and targeted therapies, in that they make use of the power of a patient's own immune system to prevent tumors from growing.

LUNGevity is committed not only to increasing the treatment options for those living with lung cancer through its own lung cancer research awards program, but also to building on its patient education offerings, with the goal of providing clear and thorough information so that patients and caregivers can understand all of these options and make the most informed treatment decisions.

The new immuno-oncology materials will soon be available on the LUNGevity website, joining the foundation's other educational resources, including the Ask the Experts online message board and blogs, webinars, podcasts and videos on important topics of interest to those diagnosed with lung cancer.

"This generous grant will make a meaningful difference in how we can serve the lung cancer community. We are grateful for this opportunity as well as excited about the potential that immuno-oncology treatments hold for lung cancer patients," said Andrea Stern Ferris, President and Chairman of LUNGevity.  

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

Since 2002, LUNGevity has funded 100 research projects at 56 institutions in 23 states and has connected people to lung cancer survivorship through research, education, and support. Throughout the year, LUNGevity coordinates grassroots and large-scale initiatives with the goal of funding research in order to extend patients' lives and improve quality of life post-diagnosis. The research is specifically focused on expediting development of an effective early-detection strategy and identifying therapeutic agents that provide customized genetic intervention for lung cancer.

About Lung Cancer

• 1 in 14 Americans is diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
• About 60 percent of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.
• 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 almost three times as many men as prostate cancer.
• Only 17 percent 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 to 54 percent.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation