Program to provide early education, detection, screening, support
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 11, 2014) — The University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Lung Cancer Alliance on Wednesday will announce the Kentucky LEADS Collaborative, a project that will focus on reducing the burden of lung cancer in Kentucky through provider education, early detection and screening, and patient and caregiver support.
The commonwealth has more cases of lung cancer than any other state, and its lung cancer mortality rate is nearly 50 percent higher than the national average.
LEADS stands for Lung Cancer. Education. Awareness. Detection and Survivorship. The project is supported by a $7 million grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation’s Bridging Cancer Care initiative.
Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and kills more Americans than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined, according to a news release about the new collaboration. In Kentucky, the burden of this illness is even more dramatic. The disease will take the lives of more than 3,500 Kentuckians this year alone.
A news conference formally unveiling the collaborative will take place at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday in Frankfort in the Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda. Among those participating will be Gov. Steve Beshear; John Damonti, president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation; Dr. Mark Evers, director, UK Markey Cancer Center; Dr. Donald Miller, director, UofL James Graham Brown Cancer Center; Laurie Fenton Ambrose, president and CEO, Lung Cancer Alliance; Dr. Jamie Studts, principal investigator, Kentucky LEADS Collaborative; and Nancy Alvey, 10-year survivor of lung cancer and member of Kentucky LEADS Community Advisory Board.
Add Comment