GIST News A Wave of Information By the LIFE RAFT GROUP

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February 2012

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  • 2011 Executive Director's Report by Norman Scherzer

    The Life Raft Group is coming up on our ten year anniversary. The truth is, we’ve been around longer than that, since 2000 and the early days of Gleevec, when we were just a handful of patients and caregivers trying to make sense of this strange, new world and help each other as best we could.

  • Genetic markers of progression in GISTs and their significance by Maria Debiec-Rychter, M.D.

    Today there are four major methods of determining risk of recurrence after initial surgery. These methods are pretty good at identifying low-risk and highrisk tumors. However, there is a fairly large group that fall between low-risk and high-risk. Those with so-called “moderate” or “intermediate” risk tumors are faced with the decision of whether or not to take Gleevec. New guidelines exist that recommend taking Gleevec for at least three years, with many experts advocating longer periods for high-risk patients.

  • GIST warriors left behind a legacy of struggle & triumph by Erin Kristoff

    It will never be fair to lose GIST warriors like Vera & Rafa, but the GIST community can take comfort in the lasting gifts they left for us.

  • One Life Rafter chooses a unique way to show support by William Sumas

    Last month, the Life Raft Group took a giant step towards launching the Mike Matthews Legacy Society and planned giving program. Ray Montague, a dedicated Board Member and Treasurer of the Life Raft Group, pledged an incredible $100,000 bequest in memory of his son, Jonathan, in an effort to jumpstart the program.

  • Congrats to BOD member Marietta Robinson on Obama nomination! by Jennie Kim

    Recently, President Obama nominated our Life Raft Group Board Member Marietta Robinson to join the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The Commission ensures the safety of over 15,000 domestic consumer products, particularly those of children’s.

  • LRG introduces GIST Day of Learning in Miami by Tricia McAleer

    The Life Raft Group is launching a new program called GIST Day of Learning. In response to the requests of previous attendees of our biennial meeting, Life Fest, for more opportunities like this, we have created a one-day program full of education and support for people who have GIST and their caregivers.

  • OCT-1 study shows promise for some CML patients: could there be benefit for GIST? by Pete Knox

    OCT-1 (Organic Cation Transporter 1) is a protein that is responsible for transporting imatinib into the target BCRABL positive cells (tumor cells). BCRABL is the oncogene that causes CML, and mutations in BCR-ABL are the primary means by which a CML patient becomes resistant to imatinib.

  • First LRG jewelry party is a success by William Sumas This holiday season, the Life Raft Group hosted its very first jewelry party in collaboration with our dedicated volunteer photographer Kim Tallau.
  • Thank you for your support! by Christine Schaumburg The Life Raft Group wishes to thank all of our members who participated in this year’s Holiday Campaign. Though it is still underway (look for final results in the next newsletter), this important campaign has raised over...
  • GISTer’s daughter holds third annual ball for GIST by Julie Cramer GIST has had a profound impact on my life even though I am not a patient myself. My father, Mark Becker, bravely fought his battle with GIST for 12 years before he died in 2009. Research and clinical trials are the two things that kept my dad alive long enough to see both of his daughters graduate high school...
  • Did You Know? In April 2011, AROG Pharmaceuticals initiated a phase II trial of crenolanib (CP-868,596) for GIST patients with PDGFRA-D842V mutation...
  • Retired horse trainer seeks to “Harness a Cure” through Dover Downs fundraiser by Christine Schaumburg A retired horse trainer and former record-holding lead driver in harness racing, Bobby continues to groom horses at the Dover Downs in Delaware.
  • Swiss pathologist wins the 2011 GIST prize The GIST Group Switzerland awarded its Science Prize for the second time. This year’s recipient was Prof. Stephan Dirnhofer, who won the prize for his important work on the pathogenesis of GIST at the University of Basel’s Institute of Pathology.
  • Did You See?

    Some of you may have seen this picture before, but we just couldn’t resist posting when LRG member Nina Johns forwarded it to us...

  • Devoted wife, mother & grandmother passes
  • Happy Cancer-versary to Anita Getler!
  • Janice loved life & family
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