{"id":837,"date":"2017-12-01T12:09:54","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T02:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lungfoundation.com.au\/?post_type=article&p=837"},"modified":"2018-10-11T14:11:57","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T04:11:57","slug":"a-breath-of-hope-for-lung-cancer-patients","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/lungfoundation.com.au\/news\/a-breath-of-hope-for-lung-cancer-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"A breath of hope for lung cancer patients"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lung Foundation Australia has welcomed the recent call from a cross-party Senate Committee to make more research a priority for low survival cancers, saying it will provide much needed hope for the lung cancer community.<\/p>\n

Lung Foundation Australia CEO, Ms Heather Allan,<\/strong> stressed the importance of this milestone and its potential impact. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLung cancer is a devastating diagnosis; it has the second lowest survival rate of all cancers<\/strong>, with only 15% surviving five years<\/strong> past their diagnosis. It is also Australia\u2019s biggest cancer killer, killing one Australian every hour, which is more Australians than Breast, Prostate and Ovarian cancers combined.<\/strong> Despite this, less than five cents of every research dollar<\/strong> is currently invested in potentially life-saving research, \u201cMs Allan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis level of funding for lung cancer research is woeful.\u00a0 We know that research improves outcomes.\u00a0 We have seen survival rates for other cancers such as breast improve dramatically in the past 25 years through sustained investment in focused research.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch offers hope and undisputed benefits for people with cancer \u2013 This Senate Committee finding is a positive statement for all low survival cancers and a testament to the stories of the families and people involved in the Enquiry.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is our hope that the Federal Government is able to move forward with this recommendation as soon as possible \u2013 there are 34 people being diagnosed with lung cancer every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Alexandra Golledge, a 36 year-old never-smoker who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012, <\/strong>is a living, breathing example of research and its benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am one of a small percentage of lung cancer patients whose cancer has a rare mutation known as ALK+ (anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive),\u201d Ms Golledge said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis means that I have available to me a targeted therapy in the form of a tablet that attacks only the cancer cells; unlike chemotherapy that destroys both healthy and cancerous cells alike. While not providing a cure, targeted therapies offer both time and quality of life, two commodities that are indescribably precious.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live with hope that more research will be undertaken into new treatments that will extend my life longer than expected, and bring hope to many more lung cancer patients who currently don\u2019t have a lot of treatment options available to them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

You can view the Senate Enquiry report here.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

Lung Foundation Australia offers a range of resource and support services to people living with lung cancer. For more information, please contact 1800 654 301 or visit lungfoundation.com.au<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lung cancer facts<\/h3>\n