Linda Wenger
lwenger@LUNGevity.org
(973) 449-3214
WASHINGTON, DC (April 30, 2020) — LUNGevity Foundation, the nation’s leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, today released its newest expert videos related to lung cancer healthcare delivery in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The April 17 videos feature Dr. Richard Pazdur, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Oncology Center of Excellence, and Dr. Harpreet Singh, Director, Division of Oncology 2, along with members of the FDA’s thoracic oncology team, who discuss the Agency’s new Guidance on the conduct of clinical trials during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and answer patient questions.
As part of the Foundation’s ongoing series for navigating lung cancer during this public health emergency, LUNGevity spoke with the Thoracic Oncology Team from the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer clinical trials and the details of the new Guidance issued by the Agency. Lung cancer patients had the opportunity to speak directly with the FDA to have their questions answered and concerns addressed. This was the first in a series of listening sessions that the FDA is planning on doing across multiple diseases in the oncology space.
“The major focus of the FDA Guidance is patient protection,” said Dr. Richard Pazdur, Director of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence. “We want to make sure that patients’ lives are not endangered by participation in a clinical trial, especially those in ongoing therapy. However, it’s important to ensure that patients get the best medicine, and many times this can be accomplished by participation in clinical trials.
“We at the FDA are here for all patients. The Oncology Center of Excellence was designed to collaborate with the external community, and we feel that this is a critical time for hearing from that community.”
“We are incredibly thankful to Drs. Pazdur and Singh and the entire Thoracic Oncology Team at the FDA for their interest in listening to patients’ concerns and issues with accessing clinical trials during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Andrea Ferris, President and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation. “It is a testament to the FDA’s commitment to patient-centricity that they made themselves available to answer patient questions directly during such a busy time.”
The videos are available on the LUNGevity website along with Frequently Asked Questions from the lung cancer community.
About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity is the nation's leading lung cancer organization investing in lifesaving, translational research and providing support services and education for patients and caregivers. LUNGevity’s goals are three-fold: (1) accelerate research to patients, (2) empower patients to be active participants in their treatment decisions, and (3) remove barriers that patients face in accessing the right treatments.
LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. LUNGevity’s comprehensive resources include a medically vetted website, a toll-free HELPLine in partnership with CancerCare®, a unique Lung Cancer Navigator app, peer-to-peer mentoring for patients and caregivers (LUNGevity LifeLine), and survivorship conferences. LUNGevity also helps patients find and navigate clinical trials through our Clinical Trial Finder tool, a Clinical Trial Ambassador program, and participation with EmergingMed.
LUNGevity has developed a comprehensive online COVID-19 and Lung Cancer resource specifically for people affected by lung cancer during this global health emergency. This website is continually updated to include video interviews with medical, mental health, and policy experts, self-care tips, and a COVID-19 glossary. All materials are available in Spanish.
Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, a four-star Charity Navigator organization, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.
About Lung Cancer in the U.S.
- About 1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
- More than 228,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year
- About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
- Lung cancer takes more lives than the next three leading cancers (colorectal, breast, and prostate) combined
- Only 19% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it’s caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically