SAN CARLOS, Calif. and WASHINGTON, July 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GO₂ Foundation for Lung Cancer (GO₂ Foundation) will present Charles Swanton, M.D., Ph.D., FRCP, FMedSci, FRS senior group leader at the Francis Crick Institute with the 2020 Bonnie J. Addario Lectureship Award at Physicians' Education Resource^® 21^st Annual International Lung Cancer Congress on Friday, July 24.

GO₂ Foundation is recognizing Professor Swanton for his ground breaking work in leading a study analyzing how lung cancer genes change over time. Specifically, Professor Swanton and his team are working to understand how lung cancer cells evolve and become resistant to treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The results of the TRACERX clinical study will determine how tailored treatments, based on a deeper understanding of lung cancer genetics, can transform treatment of the disease.   

"As an organization committed to saving lives through innovation and cutting-edge research, we are proud to present Professor Swanton with this award recognizing his diligence and commitment to solving the mysteries of lung cancer evolution," said Bonnie J. Addario, co-founder and chair of GO₂ Foundation. "Professor Swanton's work is helping us understand how lung cancer can be treated more effectively, helping to ensure that one day, lung cancer will be survivable for all."

Professor Swanton and his team are using the latest DNA sequencing technology to read the genetic makeup of cancer cells within tumors in greater detail, identifying patterns of evolution and cancer diversity. They are also investigating the processes that cause lung cancer cell mutations and accelerate tumor evolution so they may soon bring immune and targeted therapies to benefit patients.

What his colleagues are saying:

• "Charles Swanton is an internationally recognized translational researcher in lung cancer. But more than that, he is a visionary in every sense of the word. He pioneered the concept of evolution in cancer genomics, explaining how cancers become resistant to therapy as a survival mechanism. The results of his TRACERX program are transforming our understanding of this process and are leading to new treatment approaches. We are honored to have him as our 2020 Bonnie J. Addario Lectureship award winner." - David R. Gandara, M.D., director, Thoracic Oncology Program, professor and senior advisor to director, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and 2010 recipient of the Bonnie J. Addario Lectureship Award
   
• "Professor Swanton's tireless work to advance the understanding of lung cancer so that we may implement new treatment approaches sooner than later, can make a big difference in the lives of people we serve." - Luis E. Raez, M.D. FACP FCCP, president of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO) and chief scientific officer and medical director of the Memorial Cancer Institute/Memorial Health Care System
   
• "As a former award winner myself, I am so impressed and grateful to the GO₂ Foundation for all they do to fight against lung cancer. Professor Swanton is a pioneer in understanding and using the genetic profile of a lung tumor to more precisely target and eliminate the disease. He is an amazing choice for this year's award." - Roy S. Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., ensign professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and professor of Pharmacology; chief of Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital; associate cancer center director for Translational Research, Yale Cancer Center

Professor Swanton completed his PhD in 1998 at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratories on the UCL MBPhD program before completing his medical oncology and Cancer Research UK (CRUK) funded postdoctoral clinician scientist training in 2008. He was appointed CRUK senior clinical research fellow and Group Leader of the Translational Cancer Therapeutics laboratory at the London Research Institute (now part of the Francis Crick Institute) and consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in 2008. Charles was appointed Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Chair in Personalised Cancer Medicine at the UCL Cancer Institute and Consultant Thoracic Medical Oncologist at UCL Hospitals in 2011.

Professor Swanton has published more than 210 papers in publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Nature Genetics, Cancer Discovery, Cancer Cell, Science, and the Lancet Oncology. His work has led to insight into genomic diversity within cancers (intratumor heterogeneity) and molecular mechanisms driving cancer branched evolution.

Past Bonnie J. Addario Lectureship Award recipients:

• 2019 – Solange Peters, M.D., Head of Medical Oncology and Chair of Thoracic Oncology at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland
• 2018 – Vassiliki A. Papadimitrakopoulou, M.D., Chief of Thoracic Medical Oncology, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• 2017 – Frances A. Shepherd, M.D., FRCPC, Senior Staff Physician, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine
• 2016 – Giorgio Vittorio Scagliotti, M.D., Professor of Oncology, University of Torino; Head of the Department of Oncology and Chief of the Division of Medical Oncology, San Luigi Hospital, Torino, Italy
• 2015 – Fred R. Hirsch, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• 2014 – Roy S. Herbst, M.D., Ph.D., Ensign Professor of Medicine and Chief of Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center
• 2013 – Tony Mok, M.D., Professor in the Department of Clinical Oncology, Chinese University of Hong Kong,Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong
• 2012 – D. Ross Camidge, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Thoracic Oncology Clinical Program and Associate Director for Clinical Research, Colorado University Cancer Center
• 2011 – William Pao, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research; Director, Personalized Cancer Medicine, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center
• 2010 – David R. Gandara, M.D., Associate Director, Clinical Research, UC Davis Cancer Center
• 2009 – Harvey Pass, M.D., B.A., Director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Chief of Thoracic Surgery, New York University Medical Center
• 2008 – Paul A. Bunn, Jr. M.D., Principal Investigator and Director, University of Colorado Cancer Center

About GO₂ Foundation for Lung Cancer
Founded by patients and survivors, GO₂ Foundation for Lung Cancer transforms survivorship as the world's leading organization dedicated to saving, extending, and improving the lives of those vulnerable, at risk, and diagnosed with lung cancer. We work to change the reality of living with lung cancer by ending stigma, increasing public and private research funding, and ensuring access to care.

About the International Lung Cancer Congress^®
For 21 years, Physicians' Education Resource^® (PER^®) International Lung Cancer Congress^® has brought together medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists to foster awareness of state-of-the-art treatments for patients with lung cancer. This year's two-day virtual webcast features cutting-edge lectures, panel discussions, multidisciplinary tumor boards, and interactive question-and-answer sessions from leading international and national experts. Faculty share their perspectives and personal experiences on the clinical challenges and ongoing controversies in lung cancer management.

About Physicians' Education Resource^®, LLC (PER^®)
Since 1995, PER^® has been dedicated to advancing cancer care through professional education and now advances patient care and treatment strategies on a wide variety of chronic illnesses and diseases. In 2016, PER^® initiated continuing medical education (CME) programming in the cardiovascular and endocrinology areas. While expanding into topics outside of oncology, PER^® stands as the leading provider of live, online, and print CME activities related to oncology and hematology. The high-quality, evidence-based activities feature leading distinguished experts who focus on the application of practice-changing advances. PER^® is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the California Board of Registered Nursing. PER^® is a brand of MJH Life Sciences™, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

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SOURCE GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer