The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) is excited to announce a partnership with leading lung cancer patient advocacy group, the EGFR Resisters. This multi-year partnership will kick off on June 6th, National Cancer Survivor’s Day, in a joint effort in 2021 to fund an LCRF Pilot Grant related to EGFR positive lung cancer.
People with EGFR positive lung cancer represent a significant number of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. Approximately 10-15% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in the United States and 35% in Asia have an EGFR positive mutation. In the U.S., more than 20,000 people are diagnosed with EGFR positive lung cancer each year. Although there has been an increase in progression-free survival in patients due to targeted therapy with EGFR TKIs (Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, commonly known as TKIs), the cancer eventually develops acquired resistance which means more research is desperately needed.
LCRF has a history of funding important work related to EGFR, including that of Dr. Matthew Meyerson from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, whose early work, funded through LCRF, led his group to discover the EGFR mutations in lung cancer, which set the stage for the field of genome-targeted therapy.
The goal of the EGFR Resisters is to improve outcomes for people with EGFR positive lung cancer by accelerating research. Their ultimate objective is changing EGFR positive lung cancer into a manageable chronic disease.
“We are thrilled to work with the EGFR Resisters,” said Dennis Chillemi, LCRF Executive Director. “Partnering with this extraordinary group no doubt allows us to better understand this particular mutation and acquired resistance to first-line therapy for these patients. We are confident that this partnership will accelerate research discovery and save lives.”
About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF)
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 funded 383 research grants, totaling nearly $36 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. For more information, visit lcrf.org.
About the EGFR Resisters
Founded in 2017 by six patients and one caregiver, the EGFR Resisters is a grassroots, patient-driven community of patients and caregivers living with and/or personally affected by EGFR positive lung cancer. The group has a closed Facebook group for members to connect and share best practices, and it communicates with the broader EGFR community through a website, monthly newsletter, and social media. With close to 3,000 members in over 75 countries, the EGFR Resisters aims to improve outcomes for all those with EGFR positive lung cancer by supporting patients and caregivers, increasing awareness and education for community members, improving access to effective diagnosis and treatment, and accelerating and funding research. The mission of the EGFR Resisters is to understand the unmet needs of the community and to use the strength of collaboration to drive important research questions and fund novel research and clinical trials. For more information about the EGFR Resisters, please visit https://egfrcancer.org.
Contact:
Sheila Sullivan
Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications, LCRF
[email protected]
SOURCE Lung Cancer Research Foundation
