From North Carolina to Capitol Hill: Advocating for the Lung Cancer Community

On March 1-3, Lung Cancer Initiative joined healthcare experts, people living with lung cancer, caregivers and advocates at GO2 for Lung Cancer’s Voices Summit in Washington, DC.  We met with the offices of North Carolina’s Senators and Representatives to highlight the urgent needs of the lung cancer community and the promise of new advances in research and treatment.  Paige Humble, CEO was joined by lung cancer survivor Elissa Doty and her husband Matt Hellgeth, lung cancer survivor Leslie Daugherty and Dr. Bradley Icard, LCI Board of Directors and his father Greg Icard.

We were able to meet with Representative Richard Hudson and staff from Representative Alma Adams, Valerie Foushee, Tim Moore and Deborah Ross’s offices, all who were interested in learning more about the impacts that federal funding has on the lung cancer community.  It was empowering and uplifting to be able to unite with advocates in NC alongside so many others from other states to collectively advocate for change.

We urged Congress to reverse policies that disrupt critical cancer research and delay access to new therapies and to pass the FY27 Defense Appropriations Act that secures $60 million for lung cancer research.  Despite being the cancer that takes the most lives, lung cancer remains the least funded among the top five cancers.

The Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) is within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) administered by the Department of Defense (DOD). The mission of the LCRP is to support and integrate research from multiple disciplines for risk assessment, prevention, early detection, diagnosis, management and treatment for the control and cure of lung cancer.

Written by Paige Humble, Chief Executive Officer