For patients

I3LUNG is a European project aimed at improving the current treatment of metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, by helping patients and oncologists select the best therapeutic approach for each individual.

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer is the most common subtype of lung cancer, and it is usually diagnosed when it has already spread to other parts of the body. This process is called metastasis and gives rise to metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that boosts and uses the power of the immune system of the patient to fight and kill the cancer cells. It is currently the most used practice for this type of lung cancer and is sometimes given in combination with chemotherapy. Unfortunately, it does not always lead to good responses in some patients, affecting their quality of life for example because of toxicity, and representing a substantial cost to the health system. Matching patients with the best treatments available can help improve the patient’s well-being while reducing the economic burden.

In this context, I3LUNG arises. It is a biomedical initiative designed to provide individualized treatment for patients affected by metastatic lung cancer. It gather different information from 2000 patients affected by this type of cancer, which will be studied with Artificial Intelligence, thanks to which we will be able to predict the patient’s individual response to immunotherapy, consider their specific needs and give the patients tailored therapies that represent the best possible option for their specific situation. The clinical centers partners in this project will enroll 200 patients that will benefit from this new and innovative approach.

I3LUNG will put the patients at the heart of the process. They will be part of the decision taking about their treatment, and dedicated psychologists will follow them during the study and collect their feedback. They will evaluate their welfare, but interestingly also their opinion and feelings on the use of Artificial Intelligence for their cases, giving us very valuable insight and allowing us to steer the project in the best possible direction.

I3LUNG allows designing therapies based on each individual needs, reducing time, avoiding wasting resources, giving expensive treatments to patients who will not benefit from them, and undue toxicity with immunotherapy.

Let’s hear what Anne-Marie Baird, President of Lung Cancer Europe (LuCE) (one of the partners of this project), has to say about it: