Lung Cancer Awareness Month at the GCI

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time when advocates spotlight the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and emphasize the urgent need to invest in lung cancer research. At the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI), significant strides in lung cancer research have been made, thanks to the dedication of our researchers and the steadfast support of our community.

One notable milestone is the establishment of the Rosalind Goodman Chair in Lung Cancer Research, which honors Rosalind Goodman's legacy and has empowered GCI scientists to make groundbreaking discoveries that bring tangible benefits to lung cancer patients. Since his appointment as the Rosalind Goodman Chair in Lung Cancer Research, GCI professor Logan Walsh has led critical advances in the field. In 2023, his team, in collaboration with other researchers, published a study in Nature using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the necessity of additional chemotherapy after lung cancer surgery. Their findings hold the potential to prevent cancer recurrence in patients requiring further treatment while sparing others from the toxicity of unnecessary chemotherapy. This breakthrough was so promising it earned a nomination for Québec Discovery of the Year.

The Lung Cancer Network was established to unite hospitals and institutions across Montreal with the shared goal of personalizing treatment strategies for lung cancer patients. This collaborative effort strengthens Montreal’s position as a prime location for clinical trials and lays the foundation for larger networked projects, all aimed at providing the best possible care to Quebec patients. GCI Associate Member and RI-MUHC researcher Dr. Jonathan Spicer, a key figure in the Lung Cancer Network, has expanded these efforts into a pan-Canadian project focused on improving immunotherapy for lung cancer patients. This project received significant funding earlier this year through a $3.1 million investment from the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network and its partners.

Recent advances from GCI scientists and the Lung Cancer Network were featured in the 2024 documentary La vie continue, produced by Savoir Média. The film highlights the work of GCI trainee Mark Sorin, who discusses his contributions to fundamental lung cancer research in the Walsh lab. Both Mark and Dr. Spicer share their insights in the documentary, which can be viewed [here].

In a 2024  publication in the journal Cancer Research, GCI investigator Sidong Huang led a collaborative team, including several GCI researchers, to tackle the challenge of therapeutic resistance in lung cancer. The team identified that BRD4 overexpression contributes to resistance against CDK4/6 inhibitors and demonstrated that targeting both CDK4/6 and BRD4 can improve treatment efficacy—offering potential to enhance the clinical utility of existing therapies.

Ongoing research in the Morag Park lab at the GCI is investigating the role of oncogenic mutations in the MET receptor in lung cancer and their impact on MET-targeted therapies. This research promises valuable insights into the regulation and behavior of MET-mutant lung cancers, helping to refine patient selection and improve the effectiveness of MET-targeted inhibitors in clinical settings.

As we mark Lung Cancer Awareness Month, the commitment of our researchers and partners to advancing the fight against this devastating disease remains clear. Innovations in AI-driven approaches and the collaborative work of the Lung Cancer Network have led to groundbreaking discoveries, offering hope for more personalized treatments for lung cancer patients. The dedication of researchers, clinicians, donors, advocates, and community members will continue to drive life-saving advancements and fuel our quest for the knowledge to cure.