LUNGevity Foundation Hosts 2012 Hope Summit During May, Lung Cancer Hope Month

Nation's largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit encourages lung cancer survivors to participate

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's largest lung cancer-focused nonprofit, is encouraging lung cancer survivors from across the nation to register for the 2012 LUNGevity Hope Summit taking place May 5-6, 2012 in Arlington, Va. The two day conference, taking place during Lung Cancer Hope Month, is designed for lung cancer survivors of all ages and stages of disease, currently in or out of treatment.  The summit provides an opportunity for participants to celebrate lung cancer survivorship, and gives survivors the opportunity to learn, collaborate, advocate and use their voices and stories to make a difference in the fight against lung cancer. 

The topics to be addressed at this year's Hope Summit were planned by lung cancer survivors of all ages who came together last year for the inaugural LUNGevity Hope Summit, to discuss their needs as a community and plan for future summits. The 2012 Hope Summit will include inspirational speakers, medical expert forums, advocacy forums, lung cancer survivor-specific sessions and opportunities for lung cancer survivors to share and connect with other survivors.

Among the featured speakers are:    

• World renowned researcher Dr. Pierre Massion, M.D., associate professor of medicine and cancer biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• Medical Journalist, author and speaker Lynne Eldridge, M.D.  Prior to writing Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time and speaking internationally on cancer prevention, Dr. Eldridge practiced family medicine for over 15 years.
• Authors Randall Broad and Teri Simon
• Medical professionals who support lung cancer patients and their families
• Lung cancer survivors who prove that there is HOPE after a lung cancer diagnosis

For the detailed agenda, click here.

To register for the event and to learn more, go to: www.lungevity.org.  LUNGevity is offering a limited number of travel grants, based on need and availability. Deadline for grant applications is April 23. LUNGevity Foundation is also offering Community Partnerships to select organizations.

Please contact Katie Brown, LUNGevity Director of Support and Advocacy at [email protected] with any questions related to the Hope Summit or Community Partnerships.

LUNGevity conceived of May, Hope Month to celebrate the hope for better treatments and cures for lung cancer, as well as improving lung cancer survival rates and ensuring a higher quality of life for lung cancer patients and their loved ones. During the month of May, the Foundation is hosting a number of events to honor and celebrate the lung cancer community and to raise funds for critical lifesaving research.

About LUNGevity Foundation

The mission of LUNGevity Foundation is to have a meaningful impact on improving lung cancer survival rates, ensure a higher quality of life for lung cancer patients, and provide a community for those impacted by lung cancer.

Through the support of critical research into the early detection and successful treatment of lung cancer, as well as providing information, resources and a community to patients and caregivers, LUNGevity is creating and sharing hope for cures, treatments and enhanced quality of life for lung cancer patients.  

LUNGevity seeks to inspire the nation to commit to ending lung cancer.

For more information, please visit www.lungevity.org.

About Lung Cancer

• 1 in 14 Americans is diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, regardless of gender or ethnicity
• Lung cancer kills almost twice as many women as breast cancer and more than three times as many men as prostate cancer
• About 55% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
• Only 16% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it's caught before it spreads, the chance for 5-year survival improves to 52%

To schedule a media interview with a LUNGevity Foundation representative, contact Victoria Shapiro at (202) 414-0774 or [email protected]

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation