ALK Positive Survivors in Atlanta 2019

WE ARE NOT YOUR NORMAL STAGE 4 LUNG CANCER PATIENTS

200 ALK Positive Lung Cancer Patients Visit Atlanta

On August 2nd, 2019 over 200 lung cancer survivors and advocates will be traveling to Atlanta for the 2nd Annual ALK Summit to be held at the Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center.

 The ALK Positive Summit is coordinated by ALK survivors and southern belles, Amanda Nerstad and Gina Hollenbeck. Gina represented lung cancer patients last year in Atlanta at the Super Bowl as the winner of the Team Draft Super Bowl Challenge with Chris Draft, current Atlanta resident and former Atlanta Falcon who lost his wife to lung cancer. Gina and Amanda have convened a world renowned panel of oncologists/researchers in the lung cancer field including Dr. Alice Shaw to attend the Summit. Several Atlanta lung cancer patients are treated by Dr. Shaw including Patty Watkins and Bill Westlake who will be attending the Summit.

The ALK Positive patient support group represents near 1700 lung cancer patients, worldwide. This unique grass roots patient led support group has also raised almost a million dollars partnering with LUNGevity Foundation to fund three research projects and to find a cure for lung cancer.

During the ALK Summit, on Saturday, August 3, 2019, Dr. Drew Moghanaki, from Emory Winship will be taking four ALK Lung cancer survivors to an Atlanta United Soccer game and Chris Draft will also be hosting a dinner gathering for newly diagnosed survivors and the ALK Positive Executive Board, which Gina is the serving president.

 For more information about the ALK Summit and how you can support our effort to educate that anyone with lungs can get Lung Cancer please contact: Amanda Nerstad 773-294-0259 or Gina Hollenbeck 901-651-5994.

Lung Cancer Facts:

 ·         1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.  

·         More than 234,000 will be diagnosed this year.  

·         422 Americans die of lung cancer EACH day.  

·         60-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are people who have never smoked/don’t currently smoke.

·         10 -15% of lung cancer cases are never smokers.  

·         Lung cancer takes more lives annually in the US than the next three leading cancers combines.  

·         Lung cancer kills almost twice as many women as breast cancer.  

·         Only 6% of federal research dollars spent on cancer research are spent on lung cancer.