The Facts
Lung cancer remains the leading cancer killer in men and women in the Uniting States among every ethnic group. Lung cancer causes 1 in every 3 cancer deaths. We will not accept the fact that the underfunding of lung cancer research has kept its survival rate as low as it was in 1971. We will not accept the fact that 3 out of 5 people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within 12 months. Learn the shocking facts about lung cancer here.
A Hopeful Future: Uniting Against Lung Cancer
Working together with partners, we are making a difference! All proceeds from Caine Halter Lungs for Life will again benefit Uniting Against Lung Cancer, an established 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to finding a cure for lung cancer by funding innovative research into improved diagnosis and treatment.
During 2008, UALC directly funded 14 new research grants totally $1.4 million dollars. Eleven of the 14 grants were made in collaboration with research-focused lung cancer groups, like Caine Halter Lungs for Life. And all 14 support different research projects at nationally-recognized institutions.
Your Donations at Work
Only a few short weeks after last year's Lungs for Life event, your generous donations were already funding important lung cancer research projects!
Our 2008 proceeds were used to fund the Caine Halter Fund for Lung Cancer Research Award given to Faye Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center for her research: The Receptor Tyrosine Kinase EphA2: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Learn more about this critical work with targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) here.
With 2008 funding that YOU helped us raise, we also began annual sponsorship of a very special “Hope Now” award, which will hereafter be known as the "Caine Halter Hope Now Award". This award was established in 2007 by Uniting to recognize the research lab and its leader showing the most progress in lung cancer research in a particular year. As survivors develop resistance to available treatments, doctors are working valiantly to overcome these challenges and take lung cancer research to the next level.
The 2008 Caine Halter Hope Now Award was awarded to: Dr. Eric Haura, M.D., H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida. Dr. Haura is studying how mutated proteins in lung cells cause cancer. He is developing new drugs that will kill cancer cells by specifically blocking the function of these abnormal proteins. For more information on Dr. Haura's award, read the press release.
"We are proud to support these talented scientists as they focus their efforts on lung cancer and pleased to be a valued resource in the search for new treatments and a cure for this disease," said Susan Mantel, Executive Director, Uniting. "We are honored for our partnerships with groups across the country, which enables us to support more excellent projects than any of us could on our own."