New York GDOL and Cancer Moonshot Summit: A Winning Combination
The LRG 2016 GIST Days of Learning Tour (GDOL) made a stop in New York City on June 29th. A GIST Day of Learning is a free, one-day program that provides both education and [...]
LOXO-101 receives breakthrough therapy designation from FDA for solid tumors with NTRK gene fusions
Loxo Oncology announced in a press release that the FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to LOXO-101 for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic solid tumors with neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase gene fusions. This [...]
Quadruple-Negative GIST Tumors May Be More Likely To Harbor NF1 Mutations As Well
In a pre-print electronic publication of the July 7, 2016 edition of Clinical Cancer Research, a team of Italian researchers examined the link between “Quadruple-Negative” GISTs (those that do not exhibit KIT, PDGFRA, or BRAF [...]
Thoughts on the Cancer Moonshot Summit
On July 29, 2016 I traveled to Howard University in Washington, DC to be a participant in Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Summit. This invitation-only event was designed to bring together individuals and [...]
Ignyta Announces Results for Potential New Cancer Treatment
Dr. Alexander Drilon of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recently reported at AACR on a potential new cancer treatment, Entrectinib, a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor developed to target tumors carrying NTRK1, NTRK2, NTRK3, [...]
14th NIH Pediatric and Wildtype GIST Clinic Convenes
If you have a mutation of any of the SDH subunits (a,b,c, or d), the next important question to ask is whether or not it is a germline mutation. (So far, data has indicated that 80% of SDH-deficient tumors are germline). The term "germline" means that the mutation is present in every cell of your body. Germline mutations are hereditary, and can be passed on to your children. For this reason, genetic testing and counseling could be informative for parents, siblings and other family members. If a family member tests positive for the mutation, this does not mean that they will get GIST.
Spring Appeal 2016 – We’re Not Finished Yet
"I'm glad I called the Life Raft Group. They rallied around me and told me I'm going to make it and get through this GIST journey of mine and conquer this cancer." - [...]
Water of Life: A Night to Remember
The second annual Water of Life whisky fundraiser was a night to remember! This year’s event, hosted by Dr. Matt Lurin to benefit the Life Raft Group, was held at Midtown Loft & Terrace [...]
Chris Carley: Goodbye to a Hero
A few weeks ago, Chris Carley lost his battle with GIST and the Life Raft Group lost one of its heroes. He was 73 and had been fighting his battle with GIST since 1995. He [...]
LRG to Participate in Moonshot Project
On June 29th, LRG Executive Director, Norman Scherzer, will be attending Vice President Joe Biden’s “National Moonshot Summit,” at Howard University. A “by invitation only” event, the summit is designed to bring together scientists, [...]