... continued from page 27. [LC Underfunded].
Disparities in lung cancer funding
Unfortunately, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer — the percentage of people who are alive five years after being diagnosed with cancer — is only slightly more than 1 in 4 (26.7%).
According to a 2024 study in the journal JCO Oncology Practice, “Many cancers with high incidence and mortality rates are under- funded.” Lung cancer research received about $300 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2019. Although that may sound like a lot, it's extremely expensive to conduct research and clinical trials. And to put the amount into perspective: $300 million was less than half the amount that funds prostate and breast cancer sites. Breast cancer, for example, causes 15% of cancer deaths, but gets over 20% of research funds.
Inequities in diversity of research participants are also an issue both in clinical trials and clinical outcomes for lung cancer research.
The Pragmatica-Lung trial is working to streamline the design of clinical trials as a result of efforts by the NIH and the FDA to reduce barriers to trial enrollment by making it easier for patients to enroll, easier for researchers to conduct trials and increasing the diversity of participants. “Enrollment
of groups that have historically been underrepresented, such as Black, female and Hispanic patients, are more in line with the rates of cancer in these groups,” explained Sethakorn.
Patient advocates work to improve lung cancer research
Another means of reducing disparities in lung cancer funding is the work from patient advocacy groups. Patient advocates, often referred to as peer reviewers, discuss a study’s benefits, concerns and what treatment entails. “Our job is to represent the needs and voices of our cancer groups,” said Christina Sisti, DPS, MPH, a cancer patient advocate.
Sisti talks to others in the cancer community about clinical trials and how people can participate. “I found the Department of Defense and the National Cancer Institute have active research patient advocacy opportunities,” said Sisti. The first step in becoming a patient research advocate, she added, was completing forms on their websites.
Finding lung cancer clinical trials and registries
Clinical trials give early access to promising new therapies not yet approved by the FDA, according to Sethakorn. “It’s how we as a medical research community begin to understand how effective a treatment can
be, and what side effects we’ll have to watch
out for.”
Registries, a different type of medical research, don’t offer new treatments or medical devices. Instead, they focus on the characteristics and information about people who are diagnosed with cancer. For example, they can help answer questions about certain types of lung cancer affecting women differently than in men.
Ask your oncologist about clinical trials that might be a good fit. They can often tell you about any trials currently recruiting participants. You can also search ClinicalTrials.gov. P atient advocacy groups
or organizations such as the American Lung Association or American Cancer Society also have resources to connect people to
clinical trials.
Continued on page 32 ...
American Cancer Society Clinical Trials
American Lung Association Clinical Trial Finder
Antidote Match Clinical Trial Finder
ClinicalTrials.gov
InheritStudy.org
This educational resource was created with support from Daiichi Sankyo.
Risa Kerslake, R.N.
Risa Kerslake is a registered nurse and freelance writer who lives in the Midwest, specializing in health, parenting and education topics. Her work has appeared in Women's World, Healthline, Parents, Discover, Sleep Foundation and Giddy, among others. Full Bio:
https://www.healthywomen.org/u/risakerslake-r-n
Source: https://www.healthywomen.org/condition/lung-
cancer-research-underfunded
###