The Life Raft Group is committed to enhancing the survival and quality of life for people living with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST), and other rare diseases, through patient-powered research, education and empowerment, and global advocacy efforts.
PATIENT
Leverage patient perspective to drive innovative solutions in cancer research.
POWERED
Educate and empower patients to take a larger role in their care.
SCIENCE
Accelerate research outcomes through collaborative efforts.
FOR LIFE
Increase access to effective treatments worldwide.
Real World Evidence In Action
Traditional models for cancer research have resulted in many breakthrough treatments for patients, but it is not enough. The LRG’s approach to GIST research through real world evidence, relies on timely, accurate data from the patient’s perspective, with patient survival as the primary objective.
RECENT LRG DATA
Did you know that GIST is actually a family of cancers? Learn more about the science of GIST.
Dr. Monica Anderson
Diagnosed in 2012 with Adult GIST.
Marc Wasserman
Diagnosed in 2006 with Adult GIST.
Bella Rocco
Diagnosed in 2009 with Pediatric
(SDH-deficient) GIST.
HELP US SAVE LIVES
The Life Raft Group is a community and it is up to all of us to make a difference. There are many ways to help. We always need patient tissue and data in our GIST patient registry. Volunteering your time or making a monetary donation also helps us drive research forward and save lives.
LRG launches new & improved website, convenient mobile app & online store!
After two years of planning, toiling, and more planning, the LRG unveiled its redesigned website on January 1 at our same web address: liferaftgroup.org. Finding the balance between providing life-saving information and explaining GIST in a concise, understandable way, has always been a struggle for the Life Raft Group.
LRG Research Team holds quarterly meeting
The LRG Research Team recently held a teleconference that focused primarily on a study the team will collaborate on and intends to publish.
Personalized medicine: is it myth or reality?
Executive Director’s report focuses on better treatment options for GISTers For my Executive Director’s report, I usually highlight the many accomplishments [...]
LRG & colleagues make their mark on 17th annual CTOS meeting in Prague
Representatives from the Life Raft Group recently traveled to Prague, Czech Republic to attend the annual Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) meeting. CTOS is an international group comprised of physicians and scientists with a primary interest in the tumors of connective tissues.
Patients Face Numerous Obstacles In Quest For Life-Saving Treatment
“It was such a frustrating time. It was awful,” Linda says, recalling how doctors had recommended she give Glaxo-SmithKline’s drug Votrient a shot but was unable to get Jessica’s insurance company to cover it despite appeals documented by GIST specialists.
Lon Garber’s Excellent Adventure: facing Gollum, P.T. & Paul Simon with R2D2
Lon Garber It all began in Africa with a pain in my backside. My wife, Val, jokingly called it payback [...]
LRG Research Team members publish results of imatinib combination study
Drs. Jonathan Fletcher, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard University and Maria Debiec-Rychter, of the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium, members of the LRG Research Team were part of a recently published study that looked at the effectiveness of GDC-0941, a PI3K inhibitor when used in combination with imatinib (Gleevec).
2013 GI ASCO GIST summary
This is a brief summary of abstracts presented at the 2013 GI ASCO meeting. Please note that abstracts have not been through a complete peer review process and are considered to be preliminary.
GLOBAL PARTNERS
