LungBlog

Part of today’s headline is old news. Exercise lowers the risk of lung cancer in men. But I’m one of those practical people that want more than a generality. Exactly what should men be doing to lower their risk? How intense should they work out, for how long, and what kinds of activities? A new study is the first to give me the hands on information I have wanted to share.

The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) today announced the execution of a letter of intent (LOI) to collaborate with Response Genetics, Inc. on molecular diagnostic testing and banking of advanced-stage Lung Cancer tissues.

The Group Room ? the nationally syndicated weekly call-in cancer talk radio show  will broadcast live from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 13^th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA., Sunday, August 2nd, 1-3 p.m. PT in Level 3 lobby. The WCLC is amongst the most prestigious lung cancer meetings in the world and more than 7000 lung cancer specialists from all disciplines are expected to attend. The program will cover meeting highlights, clinical advances, and quality of life issues.

Merck KGaA said it has asked European regulators to reconsider their rejection of its top- selling cancer drug Erbitux for lung cancer patients.

 The drugmaker is open to restricting which lung cancer patients are recommended to take Erbitux and doesn’t plan additional clinical tests to support its appeal, said Gangolf Schrimpf, a spokesman for the Darmstadt, Germany-based company.

A woman in her early 50s came to my emergency department because she had been short of breath on and off for two weeks, and had coughed up a bit of blood. A doctor at a local health center had prescribed an inhaler and antibiotics for bronchitis. When that didn’t help, she came to the hospital.

I ordered a battery of tests, and when I saw her chest X-ray, my heart dropped. There was a large, round spot in her lung. The radiologist told me he was concerned it was cancer. I broke the news to her and her family.

Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), the only national organization dedicated exclusively to patient support and advocacy for those living with or at risk for lung cancer, announced the launch of its new online Early Interventions Resource Center, a web enhancement that provides one-of-a-kind, comprehensive information on lung cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.

Living Green Marketplace, (www.LivingGreenMarketplace.com) an online marketplace offering healthy, sustainable and green products for the home and body, today announced the Cancer Care Wellness Box. Living Green Marketplace will donate a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the box to cancer organizations.

Inspired by her mother who was diagnosed with lung cancer, co-founder of Living Green Marketplace, Hannah DuVon, realized the great need for the Cancer Care Wellness Box. “People often feel helpless when someone they love is diagnosed with cancer.

Of all things you don’t want to turn into a popularity contest, cancer funding is one of them

Rick Bangs, 51, likes to point out that the cancer he survived is the fifth most common cancer in the United States and the fourth most common cancer among men.

After researching his cancer, Bangs discovered that bladder cancer fell into some of the silent cancers in America — ones that are common and deadly, but don’t receive the same amount of attention and money as some highly publicized cancers.

Take, for example, lung cancer. It is the most common cancer in the United States and a very deadly one, but it gets an average amount of funding — $1,128 per new person diagnosed last year — from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

To some, Kathryn Joosten is Karen McCluskey of “Desperate Housewives.” To others, she’s more Mrs. Landingham from “The West Wing.”

But to others, the Emmy-winning actress is a lung cancer survivor.

Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a very difficult disease to treat, with most patients dying within a few years. Nevertheless, some advances in treatment are occurring. The chemotherapy drug pemetrexed can prolong survival in some patients and is a standard second-line treatment for patients with progressive or recurrent NSCLC following initial chemotherapy. The targeted drug erlotinib has also helped some patients with advanced NSCLC live longer and is FDA-approved for this use.