LUNGevity Launches New EGFR Patient Gateway

The specialized resource offers patients with EGFR-positive lung cancer and their caregivers access to informative webinars, the latest scientific news, and a supportive community 

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, has launched the EGFR Lung Cancer Patient Gateway. This new resource joins a suite of Patient Gateways for lung cancer survivors that present relevant information tailored to their specific subtype. The EGFR Patient Gateway will allow patients with EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) gene mutations or alterations to more easily locate specialists and resources as well as treatment information and the ability to connect with a community of fellow survivors and their caregivers.

EGFR mutations (not including the more rare EGFR exon 20 insertions) affect about 15% of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly women, nonsmokers, and people of East Asian descent. The new Gateway will provide a dedicated space to discuss the unique challenges of an EGFR-positive lung cancer diagnosis, such as acquired drug resistance, meaning that treatments can stop working over time.

The EGFR Patient Gateway is a user-friendly and easily accessible information portal that offers the latest medical updates and crucial resources for people living with EGFR-positive lung cancer. The Gateway, available at egfr.lungevity.org, will provide a single comprehensive place for people living with lung cancer to learn about EGFR alterations, find a specialist based on individualized search criteria, join a variety of EGFR patient communities, explore clinical trial options, and read up-to-the-minute, curated news and trends. Visitors to the individual Gateways can view expert webinars and blogs, as well as patient and caregiver stories, and sign up for newsletters with ways to live well with lung cancer and to get the latest scientific news.

"Targeted therapies have often been at the forefront of advances in lung cancer research over the past decade, and people living with EGFR-positive lung cancer rely on advancements in science to meet their evolving treatment needs," said Amy Moore, PhD, LUNGevity's Vice President of Global Engagement and Patient Partnerships. "Patients, caregivers, and physicians can all turn to this interactive resource for up-to-date, curated information about the latest in research and new drug approvals that may benefit them."

The EGFR Patient Gateway joins the ALK, KRAS, and NSCLC platforms on gateway.lungevity.org. Other Gateways to come in 2022 will include a dedicated emphasis on small cell lung cancer and on rare mutations and fusions (such as ROS1, MET, NTRK, BRAF, and RET).

The EGFR Patient Gateway is supported by generous sponsorships from AstraZeneca, Blueprint Medicines, Johnson & Johnson, and Takeda Oncology.

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer through research, education, policy initiatives, and support and engagement for patients, survivors, and caregivers. 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. LUNGevity works tirelessly to advance research into early detection and more effective treatments, provide information and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers, promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the patient voice through research and engagement. The organization provides an active community for patients and survivors—and those who help them live better and longer lives.

Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All of these programs are to achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization.

About Lung Cancer in the US

• About 1 in 17 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
• More than 236,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.
• About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.
• Lung cancer takes more lives in the United States than the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined.
• Only about 23% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it is caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically.

Please visit LUNGevity.org to learn more.

About EGFR

The EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) biomarker is a mutation in the EGFR gene that causes cells to grow abnormally. EGFR occurs naturally on the surface of healthy cells and signals them to grow. When the gene is mutated, it creates too much protein, causing cells to grow out of control and become cancerous. EGFR mutations are not inherited at birth; instead, they are acquired and can occur during a person's lifespan.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation