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AUGUSTA — When Debra Violette was diagnosed with lung cancer, she quickly realized that more had to be done to prevent and treat the disease. In 2012, after years of experience and advocacy, Violette founded Free ME from Lung Cancer. a Maine-based nonprofit dedicated to raising money for lung cancer research, education and advocacy.
Living up to its mission, FMFLC made a gift of $100,000 to support research in the Carole M. and Philip L. Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, carried out by Julia Rotow, MD, and overseen by Pasi Jänne, MD, director of the Lowe Center, the Robert and Renée Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, and the Chen-Huang Center for EGFR Mutant Lung Cancers; and Bruce Johnson, MD.
The CDC states that more people in the United States die from lung cancer than any other cancer, creating an urgency for more effective treatments and earlier detection.
The development of checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies transformed the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and offers potential for long-lasting responses to therapy. However, patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC rarely respond to the same immunotherapy, posing challenges for longer-term outcomes. With funding from FreeME from Lung Cancer, Rotow will characterize how to integrate immunotherapy into the treatment of patients with oncogene-driven NSCLC.
“At Free ME from Lung Cancer, we’re committed to making lung cancer a national priority,” Violette, CEO and president, said. “We’re proud to support the groundbreaking research at Dana Farber to advance early detection and prevention of lung cancer.”
Violette said she wanted to thank the sponsors, donors and volunteers who helped make the grant possible. “Together we can change the lives of lung cancer patients, one step at a time,” she said.
For more information, contact Violette at Deb@freemefromlungcancer.org or 207-215-9035.
