Patient of the Month for January: Juan Castelan
Each member has a unique story, but all reflect the intrinsic courage of one facing the challenge of GIST. Juan Castelan shares his story.
Breaking News for GIST Patients – Avapritinib Approved!
Blueprint Medicines announced that the FDA has approved AYVAKIT™ (avapritinib) for the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) harboring a platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutation, including PDGFRA D842V mutations.
CTOS 2019 Highlights
CTOS, "The Connective Tissue Oncology Society", is an organization of medical specialists and researchers who specialize in bone and soft tissue tumors. They hold a meeting every year to discuss the latest innovations in this area. This year the meeting took place in Tokyo from November 13 until 16.
Patient of the Month for December: Sara Penne
Each member has a unique story, but all reflect the intrinsic courage of one facing the challenge of GIST. Sara Penne shares her story.
First LRG GIST Mentor Training Takes Place in Wayne, NJ
An LRG GIST Mentor helps patients and their caregivers through their GIST journey – from receiving a diagnosis to navigating different resources of information, support, treatment options, side effects, etc.
GIST Support UK & PAWS-GIST News!
The UK National Cancer Research Institute’s (NCRI) annual conference was held on November 3rd-5th. This year the conference was held in Glasgow (Scotland).
The LRG Welcomes Newest Board Member Eric Biegansky
The Life Raft Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Biegansky to our Board. Eric brings his passion for supporting GIST patients and for finding a cure to his new role.
Global Representative Spotlight – Amelia Yeo
I was a piano teacher and performing pianist for the past 13 years but stopped work completely this year so I could spend more time with Andrew and see to his needs. We were so lost in the beginning because we did not know what to expect, due to the relative rarity of GISTs.
NORD Hosts Rare Disease Summit
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) held a Rare Disease Summit in Washington, D.C. October 20019, hosting several thousand people comprised of patients, advocates, non-profit employees, health providers, IT developers, pharmaceutical staff, physicians and researchers, and representatives from government entities.
Night to Fight Cancer Lights Up the Night for #GISTresearch
The 16th annual Night to Fight Cancer (NTFC) took place on October 24th, 2019 at the Midtown Loft and Terrace in New York City. This annual event benefits The Life Raft Group’s research programs.