Lung cancer remains a lethal disease, typically detected in later stages once it has progressed to a point that makes a cure more difficult. In New Jersey alone, over 6,000 residents are diagnosed each year.
With the help of pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., Morristown Medical Center is participating in an early detection program for at-risk individuals. Recently, Daiichi Sankyo provided a $75,000 grant for participants in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (IELCAP). This study involves individuals over age 40 who smoked half a pack of cigarettes a day for 20 years or two packs a day for five years and those over 40 with exposure to second-hand smoke.
To date, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center has enrolled approximately 164 participants. Patient costs include a minimal $300 radiology reading fee, which has proven to be prohibitive for many. In response, the Daiichi Sankyo grant will cover the fee for 250 participants.
“We are proud to partner with the Foundation’s IELCAP and remove some of the obstacles patients face,” says John Gargiulo, Daiichi Sankyo CEO and president. “The medical community’s understanding of the biology of oncology has grown over the past decade, and we believe we are at a point where we can make a tremendous contribution that benefits patients.”
Pictured: Jan Skrzypczak, MD, studies radiology images of IELCAP participant