ALCMI is an innovative, patient-founded non-profit research consortium that facilitates and drives comprehensively contracted collaborations among researchers in academic and community medical centers with the mission of significantly increasing the currently poor survival rates of patients diagnosed with lung cancer.
Approximately 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011, and 1.3 million will die from it, worldwide.  In clear contrast to other cancers, the 5-year survival rate of lung cancer (15.5%) has not improved over the past 40 years.  More people die from lung cancer than six other top cancers combined—specifically breast, colon, prostate, kidney, liver and melanoma. Among the key contributors to this lack of progress have been the disproportionally low federal investment in research and a lack of meaningful coordination of efforts against lung cancer, resulting in late diagnoses, few and only temporarily effective therapies, and broadly inconsistent standards of care.