Making a Difference: the Lung Cancer Alliance and the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
Deborah Morosini, M.D., research pathologist and lung cancer advocate, serves on the board of two nonprofit organizations that are devoted to fighting lung cancer and supporting those battling the disease: the Lung Cancer Alliance and the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation.
Lung Cancer Alliance
The Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) focuses on patient support and advocacy for people living with lung cancer or at risk for developing the disease. The organization seeks to empower patients, elevate awareness and change health policy. To meet these goals, LCA has established a variety of programs.
To Empower Patients
LCA provides a Lung Cancer Information Line (800-298-2436), which provides toll-free information and referral services every weekday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm EST. The information lines makes available to patients to latest information on lung cancer detection, symptoms, treatment and psychological and practical support issues.
LCA’s comprehensive and award-winning website, www.lungcanceralliance.org provides current information on all aspects of lung cancer—from prevention and early detection to treatment and support. It also helps patients, their families and other concerned citizens connect and get involved in the movement against lung cancer.
The Phone Buddy Program is a free peer-to-peer mentoring program, matching survivors or caregivers to others with similar experiences. The program also provides long distance calling cards to all participants to facilitate communication between buddies.
LCA’s Clinical Trials Matching Service (800-698-0931) helps lung cancer patients identify clinical trials that match their particular diagnosis, disease stage and treatment history. The service also provides free pre-screenings and referrals and publishes the New Directions newsletter annually.
The free, interactive On-Line Survivors Community is a forum for survivors to discuss issues and raise awareness about lung cancer issues.
The LCA provides a quarterly newsletter, the Lung Cancer Alliance Times, for patients, families, caregivers and the medical community with information and commentary on a range of topics related to lung cancer. The newsletter is available on the publications page of LCA’s website.
LCA has developed a website, www.screenforlungcancer.org, dedicated to the cause of early lung cancer detection. The website provides tools for assessing an individual’s lung cancer risk and information on institutions with the highest standards for early detection of lung cancer.
The LCA also provides Lung Cancer Education Forums & Toolkits that are held across the country to offer social support and information to patients, families, caregivers and others. The education forums are held in collaboration with Wellness Community, CancerCare, Oncology Nursing Society and American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), along with medical specialists and centers.
To Raise Awareness
LCA’s National Public Awareness Campaign promotes awareness through the distribution of print, digital, broadcast and radio public service announcements. The campaign also seeks to rally support for LCA’s mission.
LCA’s project Faces of Lung Cancer is designed to put a human face on the health crisis of lung cancer in the United States. It is a collage of photographs and stories about lung cancer survivors and those lost to lung cancer. The collection is always available on LCA’s website.
The multi-city No One Deserves Lung Cancer National Bus Tour helps raise awareness and understanding by sharing the Faces of Lung Cancer collection. The theme—“No One Deserves Lung Cancer”—is a critical part of LCA’s efforts to fight the stigma born by lung cancer patients because of the link between lung cancer and smoking.
Every year, the LCA supports the designation of November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Various legislative bodies have proclaimed November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month to promote awareness and support for the fight against lung cancer.
LCA issues an Annual State of Lung Cancer Report Card to assess our progress in the war on lung cancer—both at the federal and state levels.
To Promote Sound Health Policies
LCA works to educate state and federal policy leaders on the health crisis of lung cancer and the need to devote greater resources to research on prevention, early detection and treatment of the disease.
Volunteer advocates working with LCA have worked for the introduction of legislation in over 20 states to establish innovative pilot programs for lung cancer research.
LCA works to develop strategic partnerships with others committed to fighting lung cancer and support those battling the disease.
Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation works to find a cure for lung cancer. The foundation’s board members have all been personally touched by lung cancer—whether they are lung cancer survivors or survivors of those lost to the disease. The organization has given a very clear message of outrage over the lack of adequate lung cancer research and funding, education and screening.
When Bonnie J. Addario was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004, she was outraged to find that lung cancer, which kills an average of 19 people every single hour, was tragically under-funded and under-researched. She and Dr. David Jabons founded the organization in March 2006, and in the first three years, they raised nearly $4 million to battle lung cancer.
But the foundation does not stop at fundraising. To push research efforts toward screening, early detection and eventually a cure, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation has regular contact with researchers in the field of lung cancer—to understand scientific developments and encourage further progress in lung cancer research.
One of the special things about the foundation is its involvement with lung cancer researchers and responsiveness to their needs. When researchers at a 2007 summit identified a need for a centralized repository for research and collaboration, the foundation quickly responded.
The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) was established in January 2008. The institute is now working to create a centralized international research database to facilitate the development of more effective detection and treatment options for lung cancer.
The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation also provides inspiration and support to lung cancer patients and their families through the foundation’s website, www.lungcancerfoundation.org. The Survivors’ Hall of Fame shares the personal stories of several lung cancer survivors. The Survivors’ Blogs take readers along on the day-by-day journey of a lung cancer survivor. And In Loving Memory is a memorial to loved ones lost to lung cancer.
In The Lung Store, you can buy lovely jewelry that shows your commitment to fighting lung cancer and supports the fight through your purchase as well. It’s an beautiful and inspiring way for people to support the fight and spread the word about lung cancer.
The Lung Cancer Alliance and the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation are strong complementary voices in the fight against lung cancer. The organizations are making a difference every day—by supporting those with lung cancer today and by changing the face of lung cancer in the future.
