NEW YORK – The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) and the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer said on Tuesday that they are launching a new study to better understand why people develop lung cancer before age 40.
The study, called the Epidemiology of Young Lung Cancer, or EoYLC, will incorporate and build on the findings from the earlier Genomics of Young Lung Cancer study (GoYLC). That study, conducted between 2014 and 2017, revealed that nearly 84 percent of patients diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma at an early age harbored actionable genetic mutations, making them potential candidates for targeted treatment. Now, within the EoYLC study, researchers will expand on those earlier genetic insights and interrogate the role of the environment and childhood exposures in the development of these cancers.
The EoYLC will consist of web-based surveys of roughly 250 patients, all of whom have been diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer prior to age 40 and have undergone testing to identify the genomic markers that may be driving their tumors. The surveys, which will remain confidential, will focus on patients' medical history, demographics, occupations, reproductive history, and environmental exposures such as smoking history, among other lifestyle-related factors. Patients will also submit blood samples through their provider of choice for correlative studies and can invite their parents to participate in the study.
"When we leverage data from our earlier Genomics of Young Lung Cancer study with results of this new epidemiological study, we hope to get that much closer to understanding who is at greater risk and how we can further individualize more effective care that will result in better outcomes for young lung cancer patients," ALCMI CEO Tony Addario said in a statement.