NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) announced on Wednesday that they have awarded $300,000 in research funding to a Johns Hopkins University investigator studying the genetics of lung cancer.
According to the organizations, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Evgeny Izumchenko received the ALCF-IASLC Second Joint International Fellowship Award for his ongoing research into the genetic mechanisms underlying non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma progression. As part of this effort, he and his team are also developing a blood test for the non-invasive detection and followup of early tumors.
In 2015, Izumchenko and colleagues reported the identification of genetic events in the progression of early lung neoplasia, which can be detected prior to invasion and acquisition of malignant potential. ALCF and IASLC said that the award will help build on these findings.
"The ability to detect precancerous lesions before they become tumors allows for prompt treatment," Izumchenko said in a statement. "Understanding the complex signaling networks may help us better prevent, diagnose, and treat lung cancer early, thereby helping us improve the currently dismal five-year survival rate for this dreaded disease."