National Lung Cancer Partnership (Lung Cancer)

Regina Vidaver. Regina Vidaver is the Executive Director of the National Lung Cancer Partnership, a group of leading doctors, researchers, patient advocates, and lung cancer survivors who are working together to improve treatments for lung cancer patients. The Partnership is dedicated to raising public awareness of the disease and generating funding for lung cancer research. In her tenure at the Partnership, Dr.… See full bio.

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Story: In 2007, a year after surviving bladder cancer, I went for a follow-up appointment and received devastating news. A routine x-ray revealed a mass in my right lung, which turned out to be Stage IIIA non small cell lung cancer. I was completely stunned. This really isn’t happening, I thought to myself. After consulting with several oncologists to review my treatment options, I was told by Dr. Komaki at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas that I was a good candidate for proton therapy. At the time, I had never heard of it. Dr. Komaki explained that proton therapy could focus on my tumor with less damage to my nearby healthy organs. Since my cancer was very near to my esophagus, spine, and heart, my doctors thought it was critical to fine tune the radiation beam and minimize any adjacent trauma. This made perfect sense to me, and I was eager to get started! My final treatment plan included rounds of chemotherapy, and proton radiation. Every week for about seven weeks, I received chemotherapy at the MD Anderson main campus and proton treatments at the MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center. Each time I went in for treatment, I had an immediate connection with everyone in the waiting room. We could listen to each other’s stories and share what we were going through – that’s something that I won’t forget. I’ve been cancer free for almost four years. These days, I’m more careful about my health and taking care of myself. I’m not a smoker, so it has been one of the big mysteries for me -- why did I get lung cancer never having smoked and in my 30s? Before I was diagnosed in 2007, I was a drummer in a cover band and we spent a lot of time playing in bars where people smoked. Was it the secondhand smoke? I’ll never know for sure, but it’s where I am now that’s important. I still enjoy getting together with my old band mates and playing every now and then, but these days I’m much more of a homebody, doing everything that comes along with having a family. My wife, Lora, and I both work, so we juggle our careers with raising our daughter, Mia. She’s 8 years old and is really busy with school events and fundraisers. We try to stay as involved as we can, because our daughter enjoys it. There is always something happening! Through my cancer journey, I’ve learned it’s important to take care of myself and to do what the doctors ask. I eat healthier and stay more active, and have lost 30 pounds doing so. In fact, I ran my first half marathon in January of this year. It was one of the hardest and yet most rewarding things I’ve ever done! My wife and I are training for next year’s half marathon and my goal is to improve my time significantly. I would tell anyone facing cancer, pay attention to your overall well-being. Remove all unnecessary stress on your body and mind, and focus on returning your good health. Some things just aren’t that important and can be removed from your routine or put off until later. Don’t let your emotions take over when making decisions about your treatment plans. I’m also a spiritual person, and keeping my faith was and still is number one. It’s how I manage to keep perspective four years after diagnosis and treatment, cancer free and being exactly where I need to be for my family. I’m truly grateful for my therapy and what it has done for me.

Evidence of Impact Summary:

The National Lung Cancer Partnership has made great strides in the research funding, education, and advocacy efforts in the area of lung cancer.
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Organization Strengths Summary:

According to experts, the National Lung Cancer Partnership's success can be attributed to its excellent leadership and its strong programs in education and advocacy.
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

This organization can be improved if it reaches out to different communities and considers more diverse funding sources.
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Regina Vidaver is the Executive Director of the National Lung Cancer Partnership, a group of leading doctors, researchers, patient advocates, and lung cancer survivors who are working together to improve treatments for lung cancer patients. The Partnership is dedicated to raising public awareness of the disease and generating funding for lung cancer research. In her tenure at the Partnership, Dr. Vidaver has served on a number of cancer, health, and health policy committees. Notably, she was chosen to chair the inaugural Lung Cancer Research Program Integration Panel funded by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, and continues to serve on the Integration Panel as Past- Chair. Dr. Vidaver serves as a patient advocate on the Thoracic Malignancy Steering Committee, and Co-chairs the Patient Advocate Steering Committee of the National Cancer Institute. She is Chair-Elect of the Patient Advisory Roundtable of the American Thoracic Society, and a member of the Education Committee. She serves as a member of the Alliance for Quality Psychosocial Cancer Care, the Cancer Leadership Council, and the Global Lung Cancer Coalition. Dr. Vidaver is a patient advocate on Genentech’s Avastin Registry: Investigation of Efficacy of Safety (ARIES) Steering Committee, and the CAP/IASLC/AMP Lung Cancer Biomarkers Advisory Panel. In addition, she is a founding member of the Lung Cancer Action Network (LungCAN), which strives to bring together the various non-profit organizations working to combat lung cancer. Prior to her appointment with the Partnership, Dr. Vidaver served as a Scientific Programs Manager at the Society for Women’s Health Research in Washington, DC, where she oversaw programs focused on sex differences in biology. Dr. Vidaver was lead author on a seminal report showing that substantial portions of NIH-funded research had not analyzed data by sex of the subjects, contrary to Federal mandate. She also served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Engineering Fellow at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA. Dr. Vidaver holds a PhD in cellular & molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and a BA in biology from Amherst College in Amherst, MA.

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