FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Brings New Total to Nearly $80 Million Secured Via Department of Defense Lung Cancer Research Program

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) proudly announced that an additional $10.5 million for lung cancer research was signed into law by President Barack Obama as part of the FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill.  With the approval of this funding, the new total amount of federal research dollars secured to date is nearly $80 million. 

In FY 2009, LCA succeeded in establishing this first-ever dedicated Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) within the Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP).  In the first year of the CDMRP's operation, $20 million was allocated by Congress to fund early detection research targeting at risk military.  Since then, Lung Cancer Alliance has succeeded in earmarking additional funding including $15 million in FY 2010, $12.8 million in the FY 2011, $10 million in FY 2012, and $10.5 million in FY 2013.  Today's announcement of an additional $10.5 million brings the program total to $78.8 million.

"Increasing federal funding for lung cancer research has always been one of our core priorities," said Laurie Fenton Ambrose, President and CEO of Lung Cancer Alliance.  "We remain grateful to congressional leaders for their continued backing of this important research funding stream."

Lung Cancer Alliance Chairman of the Board, Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, USN (Ret.) reinforced his strong backing of for CDMRP funding.   "We know that our military are at higher risk of being diagnosed and dying of lung cancer than the civilian population," said Admiral Lopez.  "We owe these men and women the benefits of research funding."

Admiral Lopez played a key role in securing the original congressional support for the lung cancer program.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women and every ethnic group and takes more lives each year than breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers combined.

About Lung Cancer Alliance:Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) is committed to saving lives and accelerating research by 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 including the award winning No One Deserves to Die Campaign attacking the stigma of the disease and the Moments Campaign spreading word about the risk and screening with a risk navigator tool for consumers; and advocates for multiple millions in public health dollars for lung cancer research. For more information please visit www.lungcanceralliance.org. Follow Lung Cancer Alliance on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lungcanceralliance and on Twitter @LCAorg.

About Lung Cancer: Lung cancer is the leading killer in the United States, taking more lives than breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers combined. Each year, an estimated 160,000 lives are lost to lung cancer. Only 15 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive it. This is primarily because today the vast majority of lung cancers are diagnosed at a late stage. With the US Preventive Services Task Force's recent recommendation that high risk individuals be screened for lung cancer, we anticipate tens of thousands of lives will be saved through early detection.

Media Contact: Kay Cofrancesco 202-742-1422 kay@lungcanceralliance.org

SOURCE Lung Cancer Alliance

RELATED LINKShttp://www.lungcanceralliance.org