The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation Third Annual 'Addario Lectureship Award' Announced

Award to Recognize Luminaries in the Quest to Eradicate Lung Cancer

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (BJALCF) today announced the winner of the 2010 Addario Lectureship Award, which each year recognizes luminaries in the quest to eradicate Lung Cancer. The recipient will be honored at the 11th International Lung Cancer Congress in Southern California held on July 8-11, 2010.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100104/DC31621 )

2010 Addario Lectureship Award --The recipient of the 2010 Addario Lectureship award is Dr. David R. Gandara. Dr. Gandara is considered to be one of the world's main thought leaders in Lung Cancer today. He has been a productive and innovative Lung Cancer researcher in Lung Cancer therapeutics and is a champion of personalizing cancer therapy through predictive biomarkers.

Dr. Gandara earned his M.D. with honors at the University of Texas and completed his fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco. Since 1994, he has been Professor of Medicine, Director of Clinical Research and the Director of the Thoracic Oncology Program at the UC Davis Cancer Center. Dr. Gandara is Chair of the Lung Cancer Committee of the nationally recognized and prestigious NCI-sponsored Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) since 1997, is currently President of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), and Editor-in-Chief for "Clinical Lung Cancer." He is chair of the NCI Lung Correlative Sciences Committee and a founding co-chair of the NCI Investigational Drug Steering Committee (IDSC). Dr. Gandara was the co-chair of the 13th World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco. He has been critically important to achieving BJALCF's goals and also serves as a member of the Scientific Leadership Board of the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI). Dr. Gandara has been an essential force driving the definition and successful launch of ALCMI over the last year.

Dr. Gandara was also the recipient of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation's Dr. Fred Marcus SIMPLY THE BEST AWARD in 2008. The Simply the Best Award recognizes individuals who make extraordinary contributions to the battle against, and progress towards, making lung cancer a manageable disease. It is the highest recognition by BJALCF for achievement and service to humanity in three categories: outstanding and compassionate clinical care for patients with Lung Cancer, cutting edge and innovative research, and exemplary educational contributions.

As further recognition of his many contributions to the field, the Third Annual Addario Lectureship Award belongs to Dr. Gandara not only for his tireless efforts and brilliant strategies to advance both Foundations' missions forward at rapid speed, but also for his incredible ability to provide the best possible care and treatment options, "up-to-the-minute treatment options" for patients, and to extend the lives of patients, despite the statistics and against all odds.

Dr. Gandara provides breakthrough vision, strategy and HOPE for Lung Cancer patients on an hourly basis and is most deserving of this award.

2008 Recipient: Paul A. Bunn, Jr. MD, Principal Investigator and Director, University of Colorado Cancer Center

2009 Recipient: Harvey Pass, MD, BA, Director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Chief of Thoracic Surgery, New York University Medical Center

About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (BJALCF)

BJALCF is one of the nation's largest philanthropies and recognized force devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer through research, early detection, education, prevention, and treatment. The Foundation works with a diverse group of physicians, organizations, individuals, and survivors to identify solutions and make timely and meaningful change. BJALCF was established in 2006 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and has raised over four million dollars for Lung Cancer. BJALCF was the first Foundation allowed to participate in the International Lung Cancer Congress in 2008 and 2009. Contact: Sheila Von Driska, Executive Director, [email protected] www.lungcancerfoundation.org

About the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI)

Lung Cancer survivor Bonnie J. Addario and her supporters established the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) in 2008 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in order to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of new treatment options for Lung Cancer patients in need.

The mission of ALCMI is to significantly improve Lung Cancer patient outcomes and survival. This will be accomplished by directly helping to foster greater understanding of the molecular bases of the disease through collaborative research programs, shared infrastructure such as biospecimen repositories and data systems, and helping to accelerate the development and study of targeted therapies leading to individualized, more effective therapies for Lung Cancer patients. Contact: Steven Young, President, [email protected] www.alcmi.net

SOURCE Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation