The leading cancer killer of both men and women in the Unites States is lung cancer; patients once faced prognoses measured in only weeks or months. Now, survivors celebrate years of survival, in part thanks to groundbreaking immunotherapy clinical trials at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island that have advanced the outlook and life expectancy for lung cancer survivors.

Patients from the Perlmutter Cancer Center immunotherapy trials joined their physician, Jeffrey G. Schneider, MD, chief of hematology and oncology at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island for a special reunion, where they were honored in a “Courageous Crew” pinning ceremony, and then victoriously rang bells as one, in chorus for Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

“We have many patients here today that were presented, essentially, with a death sentence,” says Dr. Schneider. “These treatments enable the body’s own immune system to recognize a cancer and eradicate it, and have given patients invaluable time with their loved ones.”

According to the American Lung Association, an estimated 235,000 Americans will receive a lung cancer diagnosis this year. NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island participated in the early clinical trials of immunotherapy for lung cancer, and now has patients with prolonged survival rates, in many cases five years or more. Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Hospital—Long Island, a National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, continues to expand local access to high-quality cancer care, screenings, and novel treatments, including a growing portfolio of clinical trials.

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