Debra Montague
Debra Montague has over 25 years of experience at a senior level in the pharmaceutical industry. She retired for health reasons when diagnosed with Stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer nearly 8 years ago, on the 6th of October 2016.
Her personal experience with lung cancer has pushed her to advocate for better screening and prevention policies to improve cancer patients’ health outcomes with the promotion of early detection. She founded the ALK Positive Lung Cancer (UK) charity in December 2018 with an initial membership of 55 patients. Membership, including patients and families, is now at 690. The charity provides support to, empowerment of and advocacy on behalf of patients. Debra is considered the authoritative voice of ALK-positive patients throughout the UK.
Debra now divides her time between running the charity, giving personal support to patients going through bad times and advocating throughout the UK and Europe.
Debra has addressed conferences of thoracic oncologists and LC nurse specialists on aspects of living with LC, including frequency of scans, living with brain mets and side effects.
She also campaigns to raise awareness of LC in never-smokers.
Debra works in partnership on joint projects with other UK charities, in particular EGFR Positive UK and the Ruth Strauss Foundation. She is also Vice-President of Lung Cancer Europe and a Board member of ALK Positive Europe.
She advices pharmaceutical companies on the patient experience of living with LC.
