Patient-Focused Research

Goals:

To learn more about how and why lung cancer develops in people ages 45 years and younger.

• Identify factors that may be related to lung cancer development in younger adults
• Find ways to better predict their cancer risks
• Learn more about tumor changes that could affect treatment

What’s Involved:

Complete an eligibility form, then speak briefly with a study team member to confirm eligibility and interest in participating.

• Complete two short questionnaires about your family and medical history.
• Share a copy of your medical records related to the cancer diagnosis. (All records are kept strictly confidential.)
• Provide blood and/or saliva samples.
• Optional: Give permission for the researchers to access and study your tumor tissue samples (from biopsy or surgery you’ve already had).

What Else to Know:

Patients must be US residents who were 45-years-old or younger AT DIAGNOSIS with either non-small cell lung cancer or small cell lung cancer to participate.

This research study is being conducted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is funded by private and public research grants.

The study is fully HIPAA-compliant, and all data are secured to protect your privacy and personal information.

For More Information:

Visit the study website or email questions to younglungstudy@dfci.harvard.edu.

Goals:

To advance precision medicine for patients with ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC):

• Develop a deeper understanding of why current medicines for ALK+ NSCLC stop working over time (drug resistance) and how this resistance to TKI (tyrosine kinase inhibitor) medicines develops in the body’s cells
• Accelerate new treatment strategies based on this deeper understanding to delay or prevent TKI drug resistance and the growth and spread of cancer (progression)
• Improve life quality and survival for patients with ALK+ NSCLC

What’s Involved:

Complete an online questionnaire (Patient Intake form) about your medical history.

• For patients outside the University of Michigan health network, speak to a member of their study team by phone.
• During your lung cancer testing and treatment, agree to provide access to some of your fluid, blood, and tumor tissue samples. (Researchers will arrange for no-cost, privacy-protected transfer from your cancer treatment center.)

What Else to Know:

Study is enrolling patients who are 18 years or older with ALK+ NSCLC diagnosis.

Participants may be either US or non-US residents (You do not have to be a Michigan resident).

This study is being conducted by University of Michigan’s Rogel Cancer Institute and is being funded by a grant from the Richard Tam Foundation and its president Judith Tam, a patient with ALK+ NSCLC.

For More Information:

Visit the study website or email questions to ALK-Initiative@med.umich.edu.