“On July 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved zidesamtinib (Jideytro) for adults with locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were previously treated with a ROS1 kinase inhibitor.”
Quantitative silica dust exposure and lung cancer incidence in hard rock miners: 1.6 million person-years of follow-up in the Mining Master File cohort study
“Silica exposure was positively associated with lung cancer risk at low levels of cumulative exposure in a universally exposed population of miners. Findings were robust to suspected sources of bias.”
Biological sex linked to protein changes in lung adenocarcinoma and other cancers
“Study shows lung adenocarcinoma has strong sex-based proteome differences, while five other cancer types have moderate differences. Biological sex factors into cancer in ways you might not expect. In lung cancer, a form called squamous cell carcinoma disproportionately affects males while adenocarcinoma occurs more frequently in females. Researchers want to know what is happening in our cells to cause these divergent outcomes in lung and other cancers, and how this knowledge can benefit physicians and patients.”
Former smokers retain lasting lung damage despite quitting
“A new study by a team of McGill researchers could help explain why people who have quit smoking remain at elevated risk of lung disease long after their last cigarette. Their paper, published in Translational Research, provides one of the most detailed pictures to date of how quitting smoking affects the human lung at the cellular level.”
Redesigned lung cancer drug matches tumor control with fewer off-target interactions
“Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have developed a new chemical approach that could help make targeted cancer medicines safer and more precise. The discovery gives scientists a new way to design drugs that bind more selectively to cancer-driving proteins while reducing unwanted interactions that can lead to side effects.”
Access Denied: Insurance Barriers to Biomarker Testing in Lung Cancer
“In the past few decades, the rapidly growing field of precision medicine has improved the survival of patients with lung cancer. Yet the benefits of these therapies do not reach all patients.”
Brain metabolism predicts survival in advanced non–small cell lung cancer patients
“Reston, VA— Low brain metabolism as measured from ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT is associated with higher mortality in patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to new research published in the July issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Incorporating brain ¹⁸F-FDG uptake alongside clinical, tumor, and biological data improved prediction of overall survival, providing physicians with valuable insight to identify patients most likely to benefit from early supportive care.”
AI Tools Show Early Promise Across Drug Discovery, Clinical Decision-Making in Lung Cancer
“Key Takeaways: AI-designed drugs show higher phase 1 success (80%–90%) and similar phase 2 success (~40%) versus historical benchmarks, potentially doubling market-entry probability via faster iteration and QSP integration. Five AI drug-discovery model classes exhibit independent failure modes; concordance across classes can outperform internal confidence, and only target-generation and structure-prediction currently have defensible evidentiary roles.”
New National Survey Shows Only 33% of People Know About Lifesaving Lung Cancer Screening
“Today, the American Lung Association released its 2026 Lung Health Barometer, which revealed that awareness about lung cancer screening is still critically low. Only one-third (33%) of those surveyed were aware that low-dose CT scans are available for high-risk* individuals. This is significant because screening can detect lung cancer early, when there are more treatment options and better outcomes.”
Beyond Survival: Improving QOL in Lung Cancer
“A literature review published in Cureus suggests that integrating structured patient education into routine lung cancer care can improve quality of life (QOL) across treatment settings and disease stages.”
International Respiratory Societies Call for Equitable Access to Lung Cancer Screening
“Aug. 1, 2026 – Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, claiming an estimated 1.8 million lives in 2022. Around 2.5 million people were diagnosed with the disease that year, according to the World Health Organization. Yet, despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, many people are still diagnosed at a late stage, when treatment options may be more limited. Earlier detection can significantly improve outcomes, making awareness of symptoms and access to timely diagnosis more important than ever.”
Stand Up To Cancer Funds Research for Early Lung Cancer Detection
“RT’s Three Key Takeaways: Low Screening Uptake: While low-dose CT scans reduce mortality, participation remains low among high-risk individuals, necessitating easier screening options. Noninvasive Modalities: Funded projects are exploring nasal brushes, blood-based Raman spectroscopy, and autoantibody detection to identify lung cancer earlier. Expanding Patient Populations: New tests aim to reach populations currently ineligible for standard screening, including people who have never smoked.”
Blood test predicts immunotherapy benefit early among patients with advanced lung cancer
“Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy determined that liquid biopsy — a blood test that detects circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) — can predict, within a few weeks, whether patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer are benefiting from immunotherapy. This finding has the potential to facilitate early treatment decisions, allowing physicians to change therapies unlikely to benefit patients months sooner than is currently possible with standard imaging.”
ASCO Living Guideline Update Expands Targeted Options in Advanced NSCLC
“The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has issued a full update to its living clinical practice guideline on systemic therapy for stage IV non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with driver alterations, adding repotrectinib (Augtyro) and zongertinib (Hernexeos) as recommended options for patients with NTRK fusion–positive, ROS1-alterated, or HER2 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD)–mutant disease.”
