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My mother was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in Nov. 2010. At that time, I moved my family (myself and three children) back to MD to care for her during her treatments. By the time she was diagnosed, the cancer had spread to her breast, liver, spine and brain.
My mother went through aggressive chemo and radiation treatments for almost 5 months. By May of 2011, my mother was in almost complete remission. Throughout it all, she remained in very good spirits and remained optimistic. Very active (even in her mid 60′s), she refused to let the disease shut her down. She loved to cook and loved being with family.
For at least 20 years, we had an annual Goldsmith Family Reunion and would gather at Thanksgiving. She never missed a reunion or Thanksgiving dinner. Even with the cancer that had sickened her so much. I continued to take care of her and never missed a beat. What she wanted to do and wherever she wanted to go, I’d see her to it. She was the backbone of the family and would ALWAYS be the one to get us together and keep things going.
In December 2011, my mother’s cancer was back. She began treatments again, however, her body was not responsive to it. Even still, she remained optimistic. I stayed in prayer and held on strong to my faith. Surrounded by family and friends constantly, my mother continued to remain strong. She knew she was very much loved.
On April 24, 2012, I lost my mother to her battle with cancer. Shortly after I moved back to MD from GA to take care of my mother, I became a volunteer with the DC Cancer Consortium. I continue to volunteer my time and want to continue with such efforts in the research for curing cancer. If there is anything I can do, please know that I am available and willing. When I read your story, I was so touched. It took me back to my mother. Although it’s only been a little over a month, it feels like an eternity. I definitely would like to help raise the awareness of lung cancer and screenings and research.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Runners and walkers were out at Park Road Park to help raise money for lung cancer research during the Free to Breathe event Saturday morning.

Former Carolina Panthers linebacker Chris Draft lost his wife to lung cancer last December and Saturday he was one of many to take part in the event.

“My wife passed away this past December after battling and tackling lung cancer for a year. This disease is terrible, she did not smoke, she was in great shape but lung cancer is a beast,” Draft said. “I had chance to speak to everyone before the race and thank them for being here.”

The event provides an opportunity for lung cancer advocates, survivors and the community to come together to raise awareness and support in the movement to defeat lung cancer.

All proceeds will benefit the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership’s research, education and awareness programs.

The Laird-Offringa laboratory is focused on identifying changes in the genetic material (DNA) of lung cancer cells, to help us understand how lung cancer develops, and to use as markers for early detection. The kind of molecular change we study is called DNA methylation. DNA methylation is a chemical modification of DNA that doesn’t change the genetic sequence, but does change the way the DNA looks to a cell. Excessive methylation leads to the silencing or inactivation of genes. In cancer cells, DNA methylation is now recognized as a key molecular mechanism for the inactivation of so-called “tumor suppressor genes”. If one thinks of the genetic material as a very thick textbook, with instructions for the cell, DNA methylation can be thought of as post-it notes stuck to the beginning of certain chapters, instructing these chapters to be skipped. The pattern of methylation, or the “methylation profile”, is not the same for all types of cancer. Thus, abnormal methylation changes could provide important insights into the changes that lead to a particular kind of cancer. In addition, they could yield powerful biomarkers that may help the detection of different kinds of cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and Western Europe. Adenocarcinoma, the histological subtype most frequently seen in never smokers and former smokers, is now the most common type of lung cancer in men and women in the United States. The increasing incidence of lung adenocarcinoma and its lethal nature underline the importance of understanding the development and progression of this disease, and the need for the development of accurate tools for early diagnosis. Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) and bronchioalveolar carcinoma (BAC), defined as non-invasive lesions, are thought to be sequential precursors along the path of progression to lung adenocarcinoma. Elucidation of the molecular changes underlying the development and progression of lung adenocarcinoma is of great importance for devising targeted drugs and methods of early detection. Respond and Donate

Ramaswamy Govindan, MD is the director of the thoracic oncology program at Washington University School of Medicine. He is the principal investigator of several institutional, cooperative group, and other multicenter studies. One of his main areas of research is to use genomics to predict outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer. He has authored and coauthored more than 100 publications in peer reviewed prestigious journals. He is the editor of the ASCO Educational Book, Washington Manual of Oncology, and the Review Book based on DeVita’s Cancer Principles and Practice of Oncology. Dr Govindan received his medical degree at the University of Madras, Madras, India, completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, and was a fellow in hematology/oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He is board certified in medical oncology. Respond and Donate

Dr. Kolesar is the Director of the Analytical Instrumentation Laboratory for Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamcis and Pharmacogenetics (3P) at the University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center and an Associate Professor (CHS) at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. She completed a specialty practice residency in oncology/hematology and 2 year fellowship in molecular oncology pharmacotherapy at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr Kolesar joined the UW faculty in 1996.
Dr. Kolesar’s research includes the use of biomarkers and pharmacokinetics to predict response and monitor efficacy of drug and gene therapy, population genotyping for cancer susceptibility and the regulation of gene expression of the two electron reductases. She holds two patents for developing novel technologies for evaluating gene expression and point mutations. She is currently a member of the National Cancer Institutes’s Adult Central IRB, chairing the adverse events subcommittee and is a member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. In addition, Dr. Kolesar chairs the Lung Cancer Biology Subcommittee for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group as well as serving on the core committess for the Thoracic and Developmental Therapeutics Committees of ECOG.
Dr. Kolesar teaches in the area of oncology and pharmacogenomics and is a co-editor of the textbooks, “Pharmacogenomocs Handbook”, ” Pharmacotherapy Essentials” and Pharmacogenomics: Applications to Patient Care. Respond and Donate

Cancer care at Rush thrives on the close integration of patient care and innovative research designed to move quickly from the laboratory bench to the bedside. For patients at risk for lung cancer, low-dose computerized tomography (LDCT) offers the opportunity to screen for the presence of early stage tumors on the lungs. While this is a major advance in screening options, it presents significant challenges to physicians who face tough diagnosis and treatment decisions. LDCT scans are expensive, cannot distinguish benign from cancerous nodules, and, through excessive radiation exposure, may actually increase the cancer risk for patients requiring regular screening.

A simple and cost-effective blood test being developed in the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey Borgia and his colleagues at the Rush Thoracic-Oncology Research Group has the potential to address these challenges and serve as an effective complement to CT scanning. In even the earliest stages of lung cancer, tumors release specific molecules into the blood that differ from those shed by benign nodules. These molecules can range from circulating factors that help regulate tissue metabolism to components of an unsuccessful immune response to the tumor. Dr. Borgia’s team has devised a way to use these molecules to identify a fingerprint that gives important information about each patient’s condition to the physician, ideally allowing for a more timely and accurate diagnosis.

For patients, the benefits are clear. Those with a family history of lung cancer or who are deemed high risk can be evaluated regularly with this blood test without prolonged exposure to radiation. Patients whose LDCT scans show indeterminate nodules can follow up with the blood test to determine if cancer is present. This allows patients who are negative for cancer to avoid invasive biopsies or unnecessary surgeries, and it is far less risky and worrisome than taking a “wait and see” approach as to whether the nodule grows.

Ongoing research also holds the promise of developing a second convenient, low-cost test that offers physicians additional information that will guide treatment and improve patient outcomes. This includes predicting whether the cancer is metastatic, where it is likely to spread, and what type of chemotherapy may benefit a particular patient. Approximately 25% of patients with a single lung tumor die of disease recurrence within five years of surgery, making this a particularly critical area for research. Dr. Borgia is devoting substantial resources to addressing this significant limitation to current diagnostics. If successful, this test will help the surgeons identify which patients may benefit from more aggressive postoperative care as a means to improve survival.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, but Dr. Borgia’s program to develop effective and inexpensive screening tests is well positioned to enable physicians to catch the disease early, treat it most effectively, and most importantly, save lives. With clinical trials on the horizon, this new tool may be just a few years away from reducing lung cancer mortality. Respond and Donate

Dr. Ferguson specializes in the surgical management of diseases of the lungs and esophagus. He is experienced in all techniques of lung and esophageal resection, and is skilled in surgical methods to relieve airway obstruction and malignant pleural effusions. He has served on the boards and committees of numerous national societies and institutions including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Ferguson is the author of more than 80 chapters in medical textbooks. He has edited or written books on esophageal reconstructive surgery, failed anti-reflux therapy, and decision-making in thoracic surgery. He recently authored an atlas of general thoracic surgery. Dr. Ferguson has also written more than 170 papers in medical journals, and serves as an editor or associate editor for two cardiothoracic surgery journals.

His research interests include risk analysis and long-term outcomes after lung resection and esophageal resection. Respond and Donate

Chris Draft speaks often of how his wife, Lakeasha Rutledge Draft, embodied a zest for life and had a spirit that just wouldn’t quit, even in the face of cancer.  She knew how important it was to keep a positive outlook and to concentrate not on dying, but instead on what life has to offer each and every day.  Cancer Wellness at Piedmont Cancer Center provides many programs to keep cancer patients focused and moving forward with a healthy body and a motivated mind, from creative cooking classes to yoga and Tai Chi.  All are designed to enkindle a healthy attitude towards treatment, recovery, and life, and all are available free of charge to any Georgia resident who needs that extra encouragement to stay motivated during treatment.

Carolyn Helmer, manager of Cancer Wellness, says that the program strives to nurture the psychological, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of patients.  The offerings are designed to reduce stress, to allow patients to “exhale” and “find hope”, and to provide opportunities to socialize with other cancer patients.   The hope is to enable participants to recover that joie de vivre that Keasha was able to demonstrate and express throughout her inspiring and courageous battle with lung cancer. Respond and Donate

From Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s YouTube Channel

Former NFL linebacker Chris Draft’s foundation, Team Draft, has teamed up with the National Lung Cancer Partnership to help fight the stigma of lung cancer and promote research to find new treatments. Chris Draft stopped by Dana-Farber to meet with Pasi Janne, MD,PhD, a thoracic oncologist and one of the scientific directors of the Belfer Institute for Applied Cancer Science, to learn more about the lung cancer research being done at Dana-Farber. Respond and  Donate

Dr. Sequist and her colleagues at MGH have been at the forefront of research in EGFR mutations: her group was among the first to identify activating mutations and observe the correlation with response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and they continue to do much of the leading clinical research on acquired resistance — the development of progression after an initial good response — and potential mechanisms for reversing this.

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