The science of lung cancer is advancing rapidly and a recent conference held in Japan revealed the latest research findings from across the globe. Promising new therapies that could improve quality of life and survival rates were high on the agenda. But is lung cancer receiving the research funding it deserves?
The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) points out that lung cancer causes more than 1.6 million deaths per year – more than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. Lung cancer does not have to be fatal, however. Groundbreaking new treatments dramatically alter lung cancer survival rates every day. New immunotherapy (using the body’s own immune cells to attack cancer cells) shows great promise for patients with advanced, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), while personalised medicine is providing hope by treating patients already diagnosed with lung cancer with drugs that are effective, based on specific characteristics of their tumour.
Innovations in lung cancer treatment were recently discussed at the World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) – the world’s largest meeting dedicated to lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies. One of the key developments announced at the event included the publication of a new ‘Atlas’ on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) treatment, which aims to provide useful guidance to better inform medical professionals.
EGFR testing is primarily used to help guide treatment and to determine whether someone with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may benefit from targeted therapy. The testing detects the presence of specific activating mutations in the EGFR gene in the DNA of tumour cells, which can lead to uncontrolled growth of cancer cells.
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