WASHINGTON, April 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer nonprofit, kicks off Lung Cancer Hope Month this May with the inspiring fifth annual survivorship summit, the HOPE Summit in Washington, D.C., and the new "Hope Challenge," an exciting social media campaign created with Hayley Orrantia, recording artist and actress on ABC's "The Goldbergs." Lung Cancer Hope Month complements November's Lung Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness about lung cancer and the remarkable progress and promise of lung cancer research.

Hope Summit Celebrates Survivorship
During the first weekend in May, survivors, medical professionals, and scientists will come together in the nation's capital for LUNGevity's fifth annual HOPE Summit. The conference is an opportunity for the lung cancer community to celebrate survivorship, attend educational sessions, and unite with others connected to the disease. Leading researchers will discuss treatment options now available and new developments in process. The summit is expected to have over 150 lung cancer survivors from around the country in attendance.

"Hope Challenge" with Hayley Orrantia to Raise Awareness
To launch the new "Hope Challenge, "Hayley Orrantia will share a video straight from her recording session that reveals "what takes her breath away," while reminding others to "not let lung cancer take yours." Hayley challenges others to make a video sharing what takes their breath away. Viewers will be encouraged to join her in support of the cause by making their own videos and calling out friends to do the same, and sharing on social media using the hashtag #ChangeLC and Hayley's hashtag #HayleyOrrantia. Videos can be serious, clever, funny, touching, or hopeful, and Hayley will share those that take her breath away. To learn more about the challenge, visit www.LUNGevity.org/hopechallenge.

Research Driving Progress
The first few months of 2015 have shown great promise for changing lung cancer outcomes: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made the final decision to approve coverage of low-dose computed tomography (CT) for lung cancer screenings in a high risk population, potentially saving thousands of lives, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the new immunotherapy drug OPDIVO® for squamous cell lung cancer, transforming the treatment landscape.

"We have entered a time in which lung cancer research is progressing at an unprecedented rate, making groundbreaking treatments available to those diagnosed and improving ways to find lung cancer earlier. These advances are changing outcomes for survivors." said Andrea Ferris, president and chairman of LUNGevity.

LUNGevity Events Create Community for those Affected by Lung Cancer
Attending a Breathe Deep event is a great way to get involved. Upcoming events include:

• Friday, April 24: Breathe Deep Woodbridge: Mary Helen Martin Memorial Luncheon in Woodbridge, Virginia
• Saturday, April 25: Breathe Deep Columbia in Columbia, Maryland
• Saturday, April 25: Breathe Deep Greensburg in Latrobe, Pennsylvania
• Sunday, April 26: Breathe Deep North Shore in Deerfield, Illinois
• Saturday, May 9: Breathe Deep Kanakakee in Kanakakee, Illinois
• Saturday, May 9: Breathe Deep Newark in Newark, OH

Find more Breathe Deep events throughout the year here: http://lungevity.org/events

For more information on LUNGevity Foundation, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

About Lung Cancer

• 1 in 15 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
• More than 221,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year
• About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
• Lung cancer takes more lives than the next three cancers (colorectal, breast, and prostate) combined
• Only 17% 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 dramatically

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation

Related Links

http://www.lungevity.org