THE CAUSE
The Chicago 5K Lung Run is held each year in support of lung cancer survivors and their families, and in memory of those who have lost their lives to lung cancer, the leading cancer killer in America. The mission of the Chicago 5K Lung Run is to raise awareness of lung cancer and to raise much-needed funds for lung cancer research.
The 2009 Chicago 5K Lung Run will benefit cutting-edge lung cancer research through the Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) and the Lung Oncologists Group in Chicago (LOGIC), a consortium of lung cancer researchers from leading Chicago-area institutions.
Your Donations at Work
Proceeds from the Chicago 5K Lung Run are funding important research projects around the country. For example, last year’s race helped fund the Lung Cancer Promise Award, a two-year $200,000 award, which was granted to Dr. Navdeep Chandel, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Chandel’s research looks at cellular signaling and how it may lead to the development of adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer accounting for 30% of all non-small cell cases. Understanding how this signaling system works in the cells may eventually lead to the development of new therapies to treat and prevent adenocarcinoma.
Additional funding partners on this award include: Breathe New Hampshire, Breathe California of the Bay Area, Breathe California of Los Angeles County, the Arkansas Respiratory Health Association, and LUNGevity Foundation.
Proceeds from the 2008 Chicago 5K Lung Run also benefited the research of Dr. Ravi Salgia, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Thoracic Oncology Research Program at The University of Chicago Medical Center.
Adenocarcinoma is a type of non small cell lung cancer, and is the most common type of lung cancer in non-smokers. Dr. Ravi Salgia’s research involves studying the biomarkers in tumor and blood of women who smoke and women who don’t smoke with adenocarcinoma. This highly innovative research will provide insight into developing a blood test for adenocarcinoma in women, as well as provide some insight into the genes that may involved.
The Chicago 5K Lung Run was started in loving memory of Fred Huetter, Joanne Juscik, and William Moran.