A very happy New Year from the LUNGevity science team! Even though the COVID-19 pandemic raged on in 2021, lots of exciting progress occurred in the lung cancer space.
Here are some of the major advancements we saw in 2021 and how they will impact the lung cancer community.
Historically, surgery has been the most effective treatment for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). While technological improvements, such as the development of minimally invasive techniques (such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery or VATS), have made surgeries safer for patients, the ability to cure early-stage NSCLC patients hasn’t improved significantly in recent decades.
In recent years, biomarker testing has grown increasingly more important and more complex as researchers understand critical details about the molecular basis of lung cancer. By testing the genomic make-up of each individual’s lung cancer, oncologists are better equipped to recommend treatment plans that are optimized for patient outcomes.
In the spring of 2021, Myra’s husband Kelvin had COVID-19. After, he had a lingering cough and shortness of breath. His chest hurt a bit when he breathed. They assumed it was pneumonia or at least COVID-related. They never guessed it would be lung cancer.
By now, you have probably heard the news that scientists have discovered a new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. This one is called omicron, a letter in the Greek alphabet, and joins the family of other SARS-CoV-2 variants including alpha, beta, gamma, delta, lamba, and mu.
Being a caregiver for someone with lung cancer can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging. This is because a lung cancer diagnosis is life-changing for both the person with the disease and their caregiver.
