IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Merck’s lung cancer candidate fast-tracked for regulatory review in US

Merck’s lung cancer candidate fast-tracked for regulatory review in US

FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation to I-DXd in SCLC

FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation to I-DXd in SCLC

Insulin Resistance Surrogates Linked to Greater Small Cell Lung Cancer Risk

Insulin Resistance Surrogates Linked to Greater Small Cell Lung Cancer Risk

AI-based Radiomic Features Help Predict Benefit, Outcomes in Advanced SCLC

AI-based Radiomic Features Help Predict Benefit, Outcomes in Advanced SCLC

Phase II Trial Data Lead to FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Ifinatamab Deruxtecan in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Phase II Trial Data Lead to FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Ifinatamab Deruxtecan in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

FDA Grants Accelerated Status to Experimental Lung Cancer Drug Amid Limited Treatment Options

FDA Grants Accelerated Status to Experimental Lung Cancer Drug Amid Limited Treatment Options

FDA Grants Breakthrough Tx Status to Ifinatamab Deruxtecan for Pretreated ES-SCLC

FDA Grants Breakthrough Tx Status to Ifinatamab Deruxtecan for Pretreated ES-SCLC

Daiichi Sankyo and Merck Announce U.S. Food and Drug Administration Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Patients with Pretreated Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Daiichi Sankyo and Merck Announce U.S. Food and Drug Administration Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Patients with Pretreated Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

Extending disease control in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer

Extending disease control in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer

New strategy to boost the effect of immunotherapy in the most aggressive form of lung cancer

New strategy to boost the effect of immunotherapy in the most aggressive form of lung cancer

Leptomeningeal Spread in Lung Cancer

Leptomeningeal Spread in Lung Cancer

As patients with lung cancer are living longer, some are developing leptomeningeal disease (LMD) beyond brain metastases. There are few options for treating this type of central nervous system metastases. Our community is looking for solutions, and the Leptomeningeal Cancer Foundation is doing extremely important work in this area.You are invited to join them for their upcoming webinar on LMD in lung cancer on Thursday, August 21, 2 pm ET. Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/…

Why Do Some People Who Have Never Smoked Get Lung Cancer?

Why Do Some People Who Have Never Smoked Get Lung Cancer?

As tobacco use has declined in recent years, we have seen a new demographic of lung cancer patients emerge. Lung cancer in individuals who have never smoked (LCINS) is becoming more common. These people are often younger women with no history of tobacco exposure.Researchers are working to understand the needs of this growing population by identifying other risk factors for lung cancer, such as family history and environmental exposures. They are also studying the molecular underpinnings of this…

Panelists Discuss New Advances from ASCO 2025

Panelists Discuss New Advances from ASCO 2025

The publication OncLive convened a panel of experts to break down the SCLC news from the ASCO conference held in June 2025. Panelists discussed strategies for treating limited-stage (LS-SCLC) and extensive-stage (ES-SCLC) small cell lung cancer, including:Integration of durvalumab in LS-SCLCNew first-line chemoimmunotherapy regimens in ES-SCLCMaintenance approaches such as atezolizumab plus lurbinectedin and durvalumab plus tarlatamab (DeLLphi-305)The promising future role of agents including T…

2025 ASCO: Highlights of Lung Cancer Research

2025 ASCO: Highlights of Lung Cancer Research

The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) once again brought together nearly 50,000 members of the oncology community. From May 30 – June 2, researchers, oncologists, and patient advocates had first-hand access to the latest cancer research news.  The theme for the 2025 ASCO conference was “Driving Knowledge to Action: Building a Better Future.” This theme was represented through several presentations during the conference that showcased how the cancer…

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Drs. Gieske and Hanna

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Drs. Gieske and Hanna

In this Facebook Live from June 20, special guests Michael Gieske, MD, St. Elizabeth Cancer Center, and Nasser Hanna, MD, Indiana University School of Medicine, presented "Lung Cancer Screening: Eligibility, Engaging Healthcare Systems, and Impact for Lung Cancer including SCLC."Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, the monthly Small Cell SMASHERS series highlights the latest discoveries and…

Surviving LMD: Michelle Never Settled for “No”

Surviving LMD: Michelle Never Settled for “No”

Michelle knew what was wrong. She knew the headaches, regular vomiting, ear popping, and “whooshing” sounds in her head were all signs of leptomeningeal disease (LMD). The issue, however, is that LMD is so rare—only diagnosed in 5% of people with cancer—she had to advocate for the testing to prove it.“I called my clinic and said I needed a brain MRI because I think I have LMD. They didn’t want to schedule one, so I said, tell my doctor I’m demanding a brain MRI. I can tell him directly if I…

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Nagla Karim

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Nagla Karim

On May 23, special guest Nagla Karim, MD, from the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, spoke with us about the application of subtyping and biomarkers for SCLC.Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, the monthly Small Cell SMASHERS series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs for SCLC.

Watch HOPE Summit Videos

Watch HOPE Summit Videos

HOPE Summit 2025 was filled with messages of hope, meeting new and hugging old friends, and of course the inspirational and informative sessions that help people live well with lung cancer. For the first time ever, select sessions were recorded for those who weren’t able to attend, and for those who did attend to rewatch what resonated. View the entire collection here or see below for the sessions you want to watch.HOPE Summit 2025 Recorded SessionsKeynote: Breathing Beyond Boundaries…

Watch HOPE Summit Videos

Watch HOPE Summit Videos

HOPE Summit 2025 was filled with messages of hope, meeting new and hugging old friends, and of course the inspirational and informative sessions that help people live well with lung cancer. For the first time ever, select sessions were recorded for those who weren’t able to attend, and for those who did attend to rewatch what resonated. View the entire collection here or see below for the sessions you want to watch.HOPE Summit 2025 Recorded SessionsKeynote: Breathing Beyond Boundaries…

Hot Topic Highlights: 2025 Small Cell Lung Cancer Meeting

Hot Topic Highlights: 2025 Small Cell Lung Cancer Meeting

Read time: 6 minutes.   April turned out to be an exciting month for lung cancer science. First, we attended the 2025 Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Hot Topic Meeting held in New York from April 2-4, then the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago from April 24-30.The SCLC Hot Topic Meeting, hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, has become one of our favorite science meetings. Held at the Memorial Sloan Kettering…

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Carl Gay

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Carl Gay

On April 25, special guest Carl Gay, MD, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center, joined us to discuss the role of subtyping and translational research in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, the monthly Small Cell SMASHERS series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs for SCLC.

Integrative Oncology and Lung Cancer: Adding Complementary Therapy

Integrative Oncology and Lung Cancer: Adding Complementary Therapy

What Is Integrative Oncology? Integrative oncology is the use of complementary therapies alongside conventional lung cancer treatments like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery, or immunotherapy. Integrative oncology—also called integrative medicine—is an evidence-informed whole-body approach to health. It is often used to address symptoms and side effects caused by disease or treatment and improve overall quality of life. Specific examples of integrative oncology for lung cancer…

Conversations that Count: Transforming Lung Cancer Care Through Insight and Innovation

Conversations that Count: Transforming Lung Cancer Care Through Insight and Innovation

The LUNGevity Conversations that Count speaker series offers an opportunity to stay informed, engage in critical discussions, and learn from top experts revolutionizing lung cancer care for underserved populations. The series is intended for healthcare professionals, community health equity champions, and anyone interested in equitable access to healthcare. In February, we welcomed Randi Williams, PhD, MPH, of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center…

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Christopher Kniese

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Christopher Kniese

 On Friday, March 14, Christopher Kniese, MD, of IU Health, discussed the role of pulmonologists in SCLC, why the right diagnosis is key, logistics and importance of a bronchoscopy/biopsy, pulmonary rehab, and other topics.Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, this monthly virtual series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in SCLC.

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Drs. Baine and Rekhtman

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Drs. Baine and Rekhtman

On Friday, February 28, Drs. and Rekhtman of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center joined us on Facebook Live to discuss the role of pathologists in SCLC, why the right diagnosis is key, and the logistics and importance of biopsies. They explained forms of SCLC such as atypical, transformed, and RB proficient.Moderated by Misty Shields, MD, PhD, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, this monthly virtual series highlights the latest…

Laughs for Lungs: Rasheed Marshall Combines Comedy With Cancer

Laughs for Lungs: Rasheed Marshall Combines Comedy With Cancer

Rasheed Marshall understands the secondhand effects of cancer well. First his mom, Joycelyn, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. It came back in 2015 and eventually metastasized (spread) to her lungs. Soon after, his brother-in-law Romain was diagnosed with brain cancer. They both passed away the same week. “It was tough for the entire family when we learned mom’s cancer came back. She didn’t want to go through treatment again—which is why she didn’t tell us about it right away—so…

Staying Safe From Smoke, Pollution, and Dangerous Air Quality

Staying Safe From Smoke, Pollution, and Dangerous Air Quality

On the West Coast, wildfires are taking human lives and destroying homes. On the East Coast, the devastating results of Hurricane Helene are leading to illegal open burning of debris and trash. Thousands of miles separate these fires, but the results are the same—dangerous particles are entering the air we breathe. LUNGevity spoke with Angela Hopper, an 11-year lung cancer survivor who spent 30 years working as an air quality specialist at the North Carolina Department of Environmental…

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Mya Tran

Small Cell SMASHERS Fireside Chat: Dr. Mya Tran

Mya Tran, PharmD, BCOP, joined us in January to discuss what people should expect during treatment for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), managing side effects related to SCLC therapy, as well as the importance of genomics and its role in molecularly informed clinical trials for SCLC. Moderated by Dr. Misty Shields, IU Health, and LUNGevity’s Ann Fish-Steagall, SVP of Patient Services and Health Care Delivery, this monthly virtual series highlights the latest discoveries and breakthroughs in SCLC.…

Have You Heard About Cancer Cachexia?

Have You Heard About Cancer Cachexia?

Cachexia is a complex condition that causes severe muscle and weight loss, physical inactivity, and metabolic disruptions such as fatigue, nausea, and loss of concentration. It's estimated that 50% of individuals with lung cancer experience cachexia at some point.Learn more about cachexia and how to recognize the symptoms. 

Conversations that Count: Understanding the Complexities of Race and Health

Conversations that Count: Understanding the Complexities of Race and Health

The LUNGevity Conversations that Count speaker series offers an opportunity to stay informed, engage in critical discussions, and learn from top experts revolutionizing lung cancer care for underserved populations. The series is intended for healthcare professionals, community health equity champions, and anyone interested in equitable access to healthcare. In January, we welcomed Matthew McCurdy, MPH, co-founder and executive director of BLKHLTH, to speak on the complexities of race and…