WINNERS ANNOUNCED: 2025 LUNG AMBITION AWARDS

$100,000 CAD granted to projects aiming to improve lung cancer diagnosis and patient experience

TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2025 /CNW/ - Lung Cancer Canada, The Lung Ambition Alliance and AstraZeneca Canada announced the winners of the 2025 Lung Ambition Awards, a Canadian-based research awards program designed to help improve the lives of people living with lung cancer.

For the program's third year, Lung Ambition Award grants of $50,000 each will be awarded to the following research teams:

• Dr. Emilian Olteanu is part of a team at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver. The research is testing the effectiveness of using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in lung cancer diagnosis. Specifically, the research will analyze the cancer DNA in the BAL fluid after it floods the lung. The fluid will be analyzed for tumour DNA and then compared to biopsy and other more invasive procedures to assess its sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and overall performance as a diagnostic tool to detect early-stage lung cancer. 
  • If successful, a benefit of using BAL fluid is that it can reach the outer parts of the lung, that are especially difficult to reach by biopsy.
• Dr. Antoine Desilets is leading a team at Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) focused on liquid biopsies powered by whole-genome sequencing. This approach uses a simple blood sample to assess circulating tumour DNA to detect lung cancer. The research will compare DNA found in the liquid biopsies with DNA from traditional tumour biopsies to test the sensitivity and specificity of the liquid biopsy.
  • The goal of the research is to be able to use liquid biopsy as a diagnostic tool in earlier stages of lung cancer when only small amounts of tumour DNA are present in the bloodstream.

"Currently, the main tool used for lung cancer diagnosis is tissue biopsy. However, they are invasive, cannot reach all parts of the lungs, and can lead to complications," said Dr. Stephanie Snow, medical oncologist and Immediate Past-President of Lung Cancer Canada. "This year, both Lung Ambition Award winners' research focus on improving diagnostics for lung cancer using novel methods that have the potential to be more accurate, less invasive and help diagnose the disease at earlier stages."

Lung cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer in Canada (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) and is the leading cause of death from cancer in this country.ⁱ In Canada, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is only 22% – significantly lower than prostate (91%), breast (89%) and colorectal (67%) cancers.ⁱⁱ Despite its devastating impact, on average lung cancer receives a small fraction of the research dollars of other cancers, in part due to stigma that compromises fundraising efforts.ⁱⁱⁱ

In 2025, the Lung Ambition Awards received 14 applications from research teams across Canada. All submissions were reviewed and adjudicated solely by Lung Cancer Canada's Research Committee. The winners were chosen based on scientific merit, feasibility, alignment to the award criteria and relevance to the Canadian lung cancer community. To support the awards, AstraZeneca Canada committed $100,000 per year for three years.

"Over the past three years, Lung Ambition Awards have been granted to Canadian research teams tackling the disease from end to end, including screening and early detection, surgery and metastatic disease, and now diagnostics," said Marc Zarenda, Therapeutic Area Lead, Lung Cancer, AstraZeneca Canada. "We are pleased to announce the Lung Ambition Awards program has been extended for another three years. This investment in Canadian research will help bring us closer to our bold ambition to redefine cancer care and eliminate lung cancer as a cause of death."

Complete information about the Lung Ambition Awards and application guidelines can be found at www.lccresearch.ca.

About the Lung Ambition Awards

The Lung Ambition Awards, a joint initiative between Lung Cancer Canada, The Lung Ambition Alliance and AstraZeneca Canada, is a Canadian-based lung cancer research awards program designed to help improve the lives of people living with lung cancer. The Lung Ambition Awards will award two to three research grants per year, with a maximum award of $50,000 CAD each. This is the third year of the program.

Awards are granted to research work being done to improve patient care in any of the following areas:

• Enhancing early detection – including research into methodologies like screening, incidental pulmonary nodules and blood-based testing, particularly for those individuals not meeting current screening criteria
• Improving the timeliness and/or coordination of care – including ways in which institutions or healthcare systems can improve care along the patient pathway
• Addressing disparities to improve equity – including identification of systemic barriers and ways to overcome them

About the Lung Ambition Awards Partners

• Lung Cancer Canada is a registered national charity that serves as Canada's leading resource for lung cancer education, patient support, research, and advocacy. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Lung Cancer Canada has a wide reach that includes both regional and pan-Canadian initiatives. Lung Cancer Canada is a member of the Global Lung Cancer Coalition and is the only national organization in Canada focused exclusively on lung cancer.
• AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a focus on the discovery, development, and commercialization of medicines that transform lives. AstraZeneca's core areas of scientific focus are Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic (CVRM) disease; Oncology; Rare Disease; Respiratory & Immunology; and Vaccine & Immune Therapies.
• The Lung Ambition Alliance is a global coalition, with cross-discipline partners in more than 50 countries dedicated to accelerating innovation and driving meaningful improvements for people with lung cancer. With the bold ambition to one day eliminate cancer as a cause of death, the Alliance is focused on three core areas: increasing screening & diagnosis; delivering innovative medicine; and enhancing the quality of care for lung cancer patients.

References

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ⁱ Lung Cancer Canada, 2022 Hard facts infographic, available online at: https://www.lungcancercanada.ca/en-CA/Resources/The-Hard-Facts-Poster.aspx

ⁱⁱ Lung Cancer Canada, 2022 Hard facts infographic, available online at: https://www.lungcancercanada.ca/en-CA/Resources/The-Hard-Facts-Poster.aspx

ⁱⁱⁱ Kamath, Suneel D, et al. "Comparison of Cancer Burden and Nonprofit Organization Funding Reveals Disparities in Funding Across Cancer Types." Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31319386. https://www.lungcancercanada.ca/Lung-Cancer/La- Stigmatisation.aspx#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20a%20study%20comparing,stigma%20negatively%20impacts%20funding%E2%80%9D1.

SOURCE Lung Cancer Canada

For more information about the Lung Ambition Awards, please contact Winky Yau at [email protected].