Organizations Team Up to Enhance Patient Network for People Living with Lung Cancer, Expand Reach for Research
Washington, DC (October 30, 2014) – Today, LUNGevity Foundation, the leading lung cancer nonprofit, and PatientsLikeMe, the leading patient network, announced a joint initiative to help people diagnosed with lung cancer. The organizations are collaborating to increase the number of lung cancer members on PatientsLikeMe so that more patient-reported information can potentially guide research on the condition. LUNGevity will also continuously provide information on lung cancer to enrich PatientsLikeMe’s content, and in the longer term, will become the first nonprofit to integrate and display dynamic data from PatientsLikeMe on its own website. PatientsLikeMe is a unique tool that helps individuals living with lung cancer to learn from others. Members can gain a real world understanding of lung cancer treatments and symptoms, track their condition, and contribute health data for research. “Our work with LUNGevity aims to create the premier lung cancer registry in the world, and to make a lasting impact on research and on those who live with the condition every day,” said PatientsLikeMe Executive Vice President of Marketing and Patient Advocacy Michael Evers. The initiative will provide a complementary information-gathering resource to LUNGevity Foundation’s powerful educational resources and Lung Cancer Support Community (LCSC). Andrea Stern Ferris, president and chairman of LUNGevity, said it also gives people easy access to firsthand information they cannot easily find anywhere else. “We are pleased to partner with PatientsLikeMe because it is a powerful resource for patients to learn from other survivors and to be more empowered in the healthcare process.” LUNGevity Foundation’s annual Breathe Deep Boston Walk on Saturday, November 1, 2014 raises awareness for the fight against lung cancer. PatientsLikeMe will participate in the event and will provide information about the registry to interested survivors, family members, and friends. More information on the event is available at www.lungevity.o- 1 in 14 Americans is diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
- More than 224,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year
- About 60% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
- Lung cancer kills more people than the next three cancers (colorectal, breast, and pancreatic) 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