The Lung Cancer Research Foundation Commemorates November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month with "Living.Breathing.Science." at the Third Annual Lung Cancer Symposium

2011 Grant Recipients and Scientific Merit Award Winner Announced

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Lung Cancer Research Foundation is announcing the 20 recipients of its 2011 research grants at its third annual Lung Cancer Symposium, tonight from 6-8 p.m. at the Times Center in New York, in commemoration of November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. The free, open to the public session will feature distinguished thought leaders on a diverse set of topics linked to improving outcomes for people living with lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Research Foundation is also proud to announce that Adam Bass, MD, Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, is the winner of the Foundation's 2011 Scientific Merit Award for his work in understanding the genomic structure of lung cancer cells and the mechanisms that trigger their growth.  

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110218/DC50881LOGO)

"We know that many people have just spent last month learning about breast cancer – and that's very important.  But, with more people dying each year from lung cancer than breast, colon and prostate cancer combined, fueling scientific research and sharing that research with clinicians and the public is critical to conquering this disease," said Laurie Carson, Founder and President of the Lung Cancer Research Foundation.

Panelists at the symposium include some of the most notable experts in lung cancer treatment, research and education. They will share their perspectives on issues critical to improving outcomes for people living with the disease.

• Christina Baik, MD, MPH, Fred Hutchinson Research Center, to talk about current epidemiological trends in lung cancer including the factors that may make women vulnerable to the disease;
• Ralph Weichselbaum, MD, Chairman, Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology and the Director for the Ludwig Center for Metastatic Research, The University of Chicago Medical Center; to share discoveries in cellar biology of lung cancer cells and what discoveries mean to the future of disease management;
• James Welsh, MD, the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center to share perspective from the clinician's point of view regarding advancements in diagnosis and treatment, and
• Jane Bowling, DSW, LCSW, Director of Social Work, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, to address how patients and family members can cope with a diagnosis of lung cancer.

The recipients of the 2011 Lung Cancer Research Foundation grant awards were selected from a pool of 87 applications from around the world. Grants were awarded to 20 scientists from 12 states across the country and Canada.  Five of the 2011 awards were for the continuation of previously LCRF supported work that is continuing to show promise.  

"The Lung Cancer Research Foundation is inspired by the creative research being done by a dedicated group of scientists to advance our understanding of lung cancer," said James B. Dougherty, M.D. Medical and Scientific Advisor to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation and member of its Board of Directors.  "The value of the science can best be appreciated by the people whose lives have been touched by the disease.  We encourage people living with lung cancer, their friends and family and the researchers and clinicians who treat the disease to join us to learn all that we can do to manage lung cancer today and in the future."

About The Lung Cancer Research Foundation:
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation was founded in 2005 by Laurie Carson after years of fundraising on behalf of lung cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The LCRF seeks to help advance lung cancer research and to help those whose lives have been affected by this disease. The mission of LCRF is to support national research studies and activities focused on better treatments, screening, and prevention of lung cancer. For more information about the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, visit: www.lungfund.org.  

News Media Contacts:
Raquel Erwin
Zeno Group on behalf of the Lung Cancer Research Foundation
(212) 299-8951 or [email protected]

SOURCE Lung Cancer Research Foundation