Young to Help Educate on the Importance of
Biomarker Testing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Acclaimed actress and singer Bellamy Young lost her father to
lung cancer, and she is now sharing her personal experience as part
of Test. Talk. Take Action., a new awareness campaign focused on
increasing people’s understanding of biomarkers and the role they
play in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The
campaign – led by Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United
States and Canada, in partnership with Young and leading lung
cancer advocacy groups – encourages those impacted by NSCLC to
learn about biomarkers and talk with their health care provider
about testing.
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Biomarkers, substances that can be found in cancer cells, give
doctors a more well-defined picture of a patient’s lung cancer. In
addition to being used to diagnose cancer, testing for biomarkers
can help doctors make informed decisions about the most appropriate
treatment for a patient’s lung cancer. There are several different
biomarkers that can be used to plan treatment in NSCLC. These
include EGFR, ALK, ROS-1, and PD-L1.
“One of the most important parts of the lung cancer journey is
becoming informed about what you and your loved ones are facing,”
Young explained. “When my Pop was diagnosed with lung cancer, we
felt helpless and confused. At the time, I just wanted more
resources to help us understand and manage his treatment and
care.”
Leading lung cancer patient advocacy groups supporting the
program include Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, Free to
Breathe, Lung Cancer Alliance, Lung Cancer Foundation of America,
Lung Cancer Research Foundation, and LUNGevity. These organizations
have made it their mission to support people impacted by lung
cancer through education, resources and research.
Young knows firsthand what people with lung cancer and their
loved ones are going through; her father went through 10 months of
treatment before he passed away from the disease.
She added, “I’m honored to be a part of a campaign that is
designed to provide people impacted by NSCLC with information that
can help empower them to make informed treatment decisions. I
encourage patients and their loved ones to visit
www.TestTalkTakeAction.com to get the facts about biomarker testing
and start a new dialogue with their health care providers about the
next steps in their treatment.”
Lung Cancer and the Role of Biomarker Testing
Lung cancer, which forms in the tissues of the lungs, usually
within cells lining the air passages, is the leading cause of
cancer death worldwide. Each year, more people die of lung cancer
than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. The two main
types of lung cancer are non-small cell and small cell. NSCLC is
the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for about 85
percent of all cases.
Thanks to advancements in lung cancer research, doctors have
found that every lung cancer is different and that they can use
biomarker testing to uncover some of the characteristics of a
patient’s cancer. Biomarker testing is now widely recommended in
NSCLC and by testing, doctors can use the information to plan the
best treatment path forward for a patient.
“Everyday scientists are learning more and more about lung
cancer, including how biomarker testing can play an increasingly
important role in the care of people with NSCLC,” said Dr. Suman
Bannur Rao, medical oncologist at MedStar Franklin Square Medical
Center in Baltimore, Maryland. “The results of biomarker testing
can provide critical information that enables us to determine the
specific treatments that are more likely to work for a
patient.”
“At Merck, we’re committed to helping patients affected by lung
cancer, which includes developing resources to increase
understanding about this disease,” said Jill DeSimone, senior vice
president, Merck Oncology. “We are excited to work with the lung
cancer community and Bellamy Young on Test. Talk. Take Action. and
hope that through education, we can help inspire patients to be
their own health care advocate by talking with their doctor about
biomarker testing and making informed treatment decisions.”
To learn more about comprehensive biomarker testing in NSCLC,
including PD-L1, talk to your doctor, and visit
www.TestTalkTakeAction.com.
About Test. Talk. Take Action.
Test. Talk. Take Action encourages those impacted by NSCLC to
make informed treatment decisions by learning about biomarkers and
talking with their health care provider about biomarker
testing.
Biomarkers are like pieces to a puzzle that give doctors a more
well-defined picture of a patient’s lung cancer. In addition to
being used to diagnose cancer, the results of a biomarker test can
also help doctors make informed decisions about the most
appropriate treatment for a patient. In NSCLC, doctors test for the
biomarkers EGFR, ALK, ROS-1, and PD-L1 to inform a patient’s
treatment path forward.
To learn more about comprehensive biomarker testing in NSCLC,
visit www.TestTalkTakeAction.com.
About Bellamy Young
Acclaimed actress and singer Bellamy Young is currently starring
in her award-winning role on one of Thursday night’s top-rated
drama series. Young has appeared in several major television and
film roles, including Criminal Minds, Dirty, Sexy, Money; CSI:
Miami, Another World, We Were Soldiers and Mission Impossible: III,
Night Stalker, and will star in the indie picture Offer &
Compromise. Young recently released her debut album, Far Away So
Close, a collection of contemporary covers influenced by her North
Carolina roots. Her professional achievements include a Critics’
Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress, in addition to
numerous other honors throughout her career.
About the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation
The Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) is one of
the largest philanthropies (patient-founded, patient-focused, and
patient-driven) devoted exclusively to eradicating Lung Cancer
through research, early detection, education, and treatment. The
Foundation’s goal is to work with a diverse group of physicians,
organizations, industry partners, individuals, patients, survivors,
and their families to identify solutions and make timely and
meaningful change and turn lung cancer into a chronically managed
disease by 2023. The ALCF was established on March 1, 2006 as a
501c(3) non-profit organization and has raised nearly $30 million
for lung cancer research and related programs. For more information
about the ALCF please visit http://www.lungcancerfoundation.org/ or
follow ALCF on Facebook or Twitter.
About Free to Breathe
Free to Breathe, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was
founded in 2001 and officially incorporated in 2003. Free to
Breathe is a partnership of lung cancer survivors, advocates,
researchers, health care professionals and industry leaders
dedicated to doubling lung cancer survival by 2022. To ensure that
surviving lung cancer is the expectation, not the exception, Free
to Breathe focuses on funding research with the greatest potential
to save lives, and building the lung cancer community. Our
toll-free Support Line (844.835.4325) provides education,
connection to local and national resources, and opportunities for
meaningful engagement to help patients and caregivers facing lung
cancer. For more information, visit http://www.freetobreathe.org.
Free to Breathe is “Best Charities in America” certified.
About Lung Cancer Alliance
Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), the highest rated lung cancer
charity in the country, is committed to saving lives and
accelerating research and policy while empowering people living
with or at risk for lung cancer. LCA provides live, professional
support, referral and information services to patients, their loved
ones and those at risk for lung cancer; conducts national awareness
campaigns attacking the stigma of the disease, spreading the word
about risk and screening and educating those diagnosed about
options and where to go for help; and advocates for multiple
millions in public health dollars for lung cancer research.
About Lung Cancer Foundation of America (LCFA)
LCFA’s mission is the dramatic improvement in survivorship of
lung cancer patients through the funding of transformative science,
with the ultimate goal of curing the disease.
To accomplish this, LCFA will work to raise both the funds,
and the national profile of lung cancer through their “30 Days 30
Ways” and “The Little Things” campaigns, in order to
substantially increase support of innovative and groundbreaking
research efforts. Learn more about the Foundation at
www.lcfamerica.org/.
About The Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The mission of the Lung Cancer Research Foundation is to improve
and save lives by funding groundbreaking research for the
prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer. To date,
the Lung Cancer Research Foundation has funded hundreds of grants
totaling $23 million across the spectrum of basic, clinical and
translational research at leading medical institutions around the
world.
About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate
impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people
with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and
more effective treatments, as well as by providing community,
support, and education for all those affected by the disease. The
Foundation collaborates with survivors, researchers, physicians,
government agencies and corporate and nonprofit partners to meet
the unmet needs of lung cancer patients and their families.
LUNGevity's vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For
more information about LUNGevity Foundation, please visit
www.LUNGevity.org.
Merck’s Focus on Cancer
Our goal is to translate breakthrough science into innovative
oncology medicines to help people with cancer worldwide. At Merck
Oncology, helping people fight cancer is our passion and supporting
accessibility to our cancer medicines is our commitment. Our focus
is on pursuing research in immuno-oncology and we are accelerating
every step in the journey – from lab to clinic – to
potentially bring new hope to people with cancer.
About Merck
For 125 years, Merck has been a global health care leader
working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside
the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines,
vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work
with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver
innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to
increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies,
programs and partnerships. For more information, visit
www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and
LinkedIn.
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