Surgical Considerations for GIST
2022-11-08 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
November 8, 2022 @ 1PM ET
The Life Raft Group is partnering with Dr. Andrew Blakely, surgical oncologist, National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research, NIH, to discuss the basics of surgical removal of primary GISTs and considerations in multimetastatic disease. The presentation will include case examples for both non-wild-type and wild-type or SDH-deficient GIST. Q&A will follow the presentation.
If you have any questions about this webinar, please email srothschild@liferaftgroup.org
REGISTERAbout our Presenter:
Dr. Andrew Blakely
National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research
National Institutes of Health
Dr. Blakely completed a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering followed by medical school at Drexel University. He went on to general surgery residency at Brown University. During residency, he spent two years of dedicated research time at the Center for Biomedical Engineering developing a device for tissue engineering applications. That work then led to a National Science Foundation grant and a patent. Dr. Blakely then completed his fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology at City of Hope National Medical Center. Dr. Blakely is currently a surgical oncologist specializing in peritoneal surface malignancies and soft tissue sarcomas. One of the primary focuses of his research includes improving surgical treatment and ex vivo tumor modeling of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
Thank you to our 2022 LRG webinar sponsors:

Florida Support Group
2022-11-14 18:00 (America/New_York)
Zoom, 2nd Monday of the Month – 6pm ET
Our moderator is a fellow GISTER/LRG Member, Jackie, from Orlando, Florida. She was diagnosed with GIST in late 2016. She is hopeful that this group will be helpful to GIST patients and their caregivers, who are also welcome to attend. This group will meet online every 2nd Monday of the month at 6pm ET.
If you wish to attend, please email Jackie at dillonjackie62@gmail.com for the Zoom link for the meeting.

Virtual Caregiver Support Group
2022-11-16 13:00 - 14:00, 2022-12-07 13:00 - 14:00, 2022-12-21 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-01-04 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-01-18 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-02-01 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-02-15 13:00 - 14:00, 2023-03-01 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) and 5 more dates
A Bi-Weekly Virtual Support Group for GIST Caregivers
Held on the first & third Wednesdays of the month
As we continue to navigate this uncertain time together, we want to offer you a little extra support. LRG has a twice monthly support group for the caregivers facilitated by Marlene Nei, GIST Caregiver. To continue social distancing and connecting with caregivers across the United States, we will use an electronic platform to gather as a group. We will talk about all the feelings you might be experiencing, both in relation to GIST, and COVID-19.
We will share our stories, if you are comfortable, and speak freely about the new fears and anxieties we might be feeling because of this unprecedented time. The group will be a safe space not only to feel supported by your fellow caregivers, but also a place to share our own coping mechanisms to get us through this stressful time. All information shared will be kept confidential. Contact Diana Nieves at dnieves@liferaftgroup.org for more information.

Please email Diana Nieves at dnieves@liferaftgroup.org to join this meeting.

About the Group Leader:
Marlene Nei, GIST Caregiver
As an active member of the Life Raft Group, Marlene advocates for the needs of the caregiver community because she feels they are an underrepresented group. It is her mission to advocate for the entire GIST community making sure they are equipped with the appropriate resources on their GIST journey.

Interactive Q&A with SDH Families
2022-12-08 17:00 (America/New_York)
December 8 @ 5PM ET
The Life Raft Group invites SDH-deficient GIST patients and caregivers to join us for a virtual conversation with Dr. Sosipatros Boikos of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. During this meeting, Dr. Boikos will present background on SDH-deficient GIST and open the meeting to an interactive Q&A with families. Please come prepared with questions and time to interact with the group!
REGISTERAbout our Presenter:
Dr. Sosipatros Boikos
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Sosipatros Boikos, MD, is a fellowship-trained, board-certified medical oncologist with clinical privileges at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. He is one of the most experienced sarcoma medical oncologists in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with 11 years of experience treating sarcomas and rare tumors and more than 20 years of experience in the area of sarcoma cancer genetics and cell biology. Dr. Boikos currently serves MedStar Health as Co-Leader of the Sarcoma Working Group at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Thank you to our 2022 LRG webinar sponsors:

So. Cal GISTer Virtual Support Group
2022-12-10 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
This Support Group will be held at 10am Pacific Time/1pm Eastern.
Join us on Saturday, December 10, at 10:00 am PST. Make yourself comfortable at your computer, laptop, tablet, etc. and participate in what will be a very helpful and informative meeting.
The Life Raft Group is offering a virtual California Support Group with Southern California Leader Dina Wiley, PhD. The group will meet to talk to each other, discuss individual GIST issues, and get answers to questions. This will enable you to not only get some relief from the worry of GIST, but to also help others, as well. We are, after all, in the same life raft, and we are each needed to pull together. When we do, wonderful things happen!
And here’s the best part — we will have a very special guest – Dr. Michael Heinrich, Oregon Health & Science University.
REGISTERAbout the Group Leader:
Dina Wiley – Dina is a long-time Southern California LRG Support Group Leader. Read about Dina’s GIST journey here
About Our Special Guest:
Michael Heinrich, MD
Oregon Health & Science University
Professor of Medicine, School of Medicine
Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, School of Medicine
Cancer Biology Graduate Program, School of Medicine
Program in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, School of Medicine
Dr. Heinrich’s research includes both preclinical identification of novel molecular targets and testing of new agents in the laboratory and the clinic. This includes both genomics research using high-throughput gentoyping to identify oncogenic mutations and testing of new compounds in cellular and biochemical assays. Dr. Heinrich’s laboratory is particularly expert in the analysis of inhibitors of oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases such as KIT, PDGFRA and FLT3.

La Senda Verde - Virtual Tour
2023-01-18 10:00 (America/New_York)
La Senda Verde Tour – January 18 at 10am ET

Our theme for 2023 is Thriving Together and during this time, we’ll present stories and featured webinars on how our patients & caregivers are thriving living with GIST. We want to celebrate these personal passions and joys with the desire to bring our community their own moments of joy and relaxation through these experiences.

La Senda Verde co-founders Vicky Ossio & Marcelo Levy
Caregiver Vicky Ossio shares her passion for rescuing and rehoming animals who were confiscated due to illegal trafficking and the destruction of their habitats. With co-founder Marcelo Levy, this sanctuary has sheltered hundreds of displaced animals and worked toward providing a diverse, natural setting through progressive conservation called rewilding.
Vicky came to know The Life Raft Group through her daughter Carolina, who was diagnosed with GIST in 2006 at age 27. She and Carolina have attended many Life Fest weekends and GDOLs and have been active volunteers with the LRG throughout the years.
REGISTERVicky and Marcelo will share a view of Senda Verde to our community on January 18th at 10am. Everyone is welcome to join and enjoy this presentation with a live Q&A to follow. During our tour, we will meet birds, reptiles, monkeys and other big mammals, like bears and big cats. We will also make a quick visit to our rewinding area to see the native stingless bees, and our butterfly farm.
Senda Verde was established in 2003 in the subtropical region east side of the Bolivian Andes in South America. Concerned about the urgent need to do something meaningful in favor of the natural world, Vicky and Marcelo decided to take hands-on action. They decided to devote their energy, effort and work to that noble and inspiring task: saving and sheltering wild animals rescued from illegal trafficking and destruction of habitats.
Senda Verde shelters approximately one thousand wild animals. This sanctuary exists to save and shelter animals rescued from illegal trafficking and destruction of habitats, and to inspire people to value nature. They have taken a progressive approach to conservation within our property and surrounding areas, letting natural processes enhance and reshape the land and restore degraded old agricultural landscapes.

GIST Updates from CTOS
2023-02-08 19:00 (America/New_York)
The Life Raft Group is partnering with Dr. Herbert Loong of The Chinese University of Hong Kong to present “GIST Updates from CTOS 2022” to GIST patients and caregivers on February 8th at 7pm ET. During this virtual presentation, Dr. Loong will discuss scientific updates relevant to GIST patients that were exhibited at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) conference. A Q&A segment will follow Dr. Loong’s presentation.

Please note that this webinar is not a substitute for your physician’s guidance and care.
REGISTERAbout Our Presenter
Herbert H. Loong, MD
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dr. Herbert H. Loong holds conjoint appointments of Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Oncology and Deputy Medical Director of the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Centre of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also the current and founding convenor of the Prince of Wales Hospital Adult Sarcoma Multidisciplinary Team.
Dr. Loong obtained his medical degree with a Distinction in Surgery from The University of Hong Kong in 2003. He has completed a Fellowship in Drug Development at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada with a special focus on Experimental Therapeutics. His clinical and research interests also include Sarcoma Medical Oncology, Thoracic Oncology and Health Economics. He is a recipient of the European Cancer Congress Fellowship Grant (2013), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting Merit Award (2014), the Hong Kong College of Physicians Young Investigators’ Award (2014). Nominated by patients and their caregivers, Dr. Loong led the Lung Cancer Team at CUHK to be bestowed the IASLC Foundation Cancer Care Team Award in recognition for providing the best thoracic oncology care in “Asia & Rest of the World” in 2018.
Dr. Loong has served or continues to serve in various capacities in various professional international oncology bodies, including the International Affairs Committee and the Asia-Pacific Regional Council of ASCO, the Membership, Education and Communications Committees of the IASLC. He has been elected as a Board Member of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) for 2022-2024. He is also a founding executive committee member of the newly formed Asia Pacific Oncology Drug Development Network (APODDC). He is also a Board Member in the specialty of Medical Oncology in the Hong Kong College of Physicians. In his appointment as a Registration Committee member of Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong, he helps oversee the registration of medicinal products and clinical trials in the territory.

Nutrition Management & Multidisciplinary Approaches in GIST
2023-03-16 12:00 (America/New_York)
The Life Raft Group is partnering with Fundación GIST México to present Nutrition Management and Multidisciplinary Approaches in GIST for GIST patients and caretakers on March 16th at 12pm ET. During this virtual presentation, Ms. Carbajal-López will describe the onco-nutritional pathway, effects of malnutrition in GIST, multidisciplinary approaches to nutrition, exercise, and more.
There will be time for questions after the presentation. If you would like to submit your questions ahead of time or if you have questions about the presentation, please email Sara Rothschild: srothschild@liferaftgroup.org
REGISTERAbout our Presenter:
Berenice Carbajal-López
Fundación GIST México
Ms. Carbajal-López is a doctoral student who holds a master’s degree in Health Sciences with a thesis related to the use of technologies in the nutritional and psychological care of patients with GIST. She has a diploma in Clinical Research and Biostatistics at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico. She has experience in health care of GIST patients, as Patient Care Coordinator from 2014 to 2019 and as Global Director since 2020 at Fundación GIST México. Ms. Carbajal-López has also collaborated in drafting and review of research articles and book chapters in the area of Oncology, with eight publications to date as main author and co-author in indexed journals and has participated in national and international congresses such as SMEO 2018, ASCO 2019, and ESMO-GI 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Please note that this webinar is not a substitute for your physician’s guidance and care.

Fueling GIST Research - Our Community in Action!
2023-04-18 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Diana Nieves will be chatting with a group of fundraisers from our community who have combined GIST advocacy with a personal passion in their lives to raise funds for GIST research. We are grateful to these individuals who have been so creative and thankful that they are willing to join us on April 18 at noon ET to share how to create a successful virtual or in-person fundraiser to further GIST research.
Join us during for virtual presentation to learn how you can help fuel the future of GIST research!
REGISTERAbout Our Presenter:
Diana Nieves
Chief Development & Involvement Officer
In her role as Chief Development & Involvement Officer, Diana is charged with busting up silos and eliminating barriers to keep our relationships with members, donors, volunteers, and others focused on our common goal of achieving LRGs mission. She actively cultivates, engages and deepens these relationships so that she can elevate LRG fundraising and volunteering efforts while meaningfully acknowledging contributions made to the LRG and rare diseases overall. She works closely with the senior executive team and Board of Directors to ensure the development and success of the organization by instilling a culture of community involvement, philanthropy, strategic planning while addressing any development issues within the organization. Diana holds a Master of Public Administration degree from New York University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Adelphi University.
Our Guest Panel includes:

Thank you to our 2023 Webinar Sponsors!

GIST Day of Learning Virtual - Tennessee
2023-04-28 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
GDOL Tennessee is happening on April 28th, 2023 VIRTUAL
2-4pm CDT
Agenda TBA
Presenters: Elizabeth Davis, MD; Vicki Keedy, MD, MSCI; Justin Cates, MD, Ph.D.; Carlos Prieto-Granada, MD; Deepa Magge, MD; Sekhar Padmanabhan; Erin Taylor, MS, RD, CNSC; and Carey Tomlinson, PT
Topics Include:
• GIST 101
• Importance of pathology review, molecular testing, and risk stratification
• Medical and surgical approaches to treatment
• Management of treatment side effects
• Importance of nutrition and physical activity during treatment
• Future directions for GIST therapy

REGISTERWhat is a GDOL?
A GDOL is a GIST Day of Learning. This is a free one day event to help patients and caregivers learn more about this rare cancer, find support, and enhance their knowledge base to help them navigate their cancer journey.
The mission of the Life Raft Group is to enhance survival and quality of life for people living with GIST through patient-powered research, education and empowerment, and global advocacy efforts. The LRG vision is to champion patient-powered science and drastically increase long-term survivorship for all cancer patients. To accomplish this, we rely on four key pillars:
– Leverage the patient perspective to drive innovative solutions in cancer research
– Educate and empower patients to take a larger role in their care
– Accelerate research outcomes through collaborative efforts
– Increase access to effective treatments worldwide
Thank you to our 2023 GDOL Sponsors!

Managing Your Mental Health After Diagnosis
2023-05-02 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Receiving a cancer diagnosis and undergoing cancer treatment can be a highly stressful and emotionally challenging experience. Patients may experience a range of emotions such as fear, anxiety, depression and grief, as well as many physical symptoms. Paying attention to your mental health is an important part of coping with a cancer diagnosis. The Life Raft Group is partnering with Sarah Paul of CancerCare to host this webinar on May 2nd at 12 ET to discuss why mental health matters and discover ways to find the emotional support that is right for you.
REGISTERAbout Our Presenter:
Sarah Paul, LCSW, OSW-C
Director of Clinical Programs, CancerCare
Ms. Paul is the Director of Clinical Programs and is responsible for delivering CancerCare’s free services to people whose lives are affected by cancer while overseeing administrative aspects of the social work department. Sarah is passionate about creating and developing specialized programs to meet the needs of underserved populations and has a specialization in working with children, adolescents and young adults. Before starting at CancerCare, she received her BA in Psychology from SUNY New Paltz and her Master’s in Social Work from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. She is a board certified oncology social worker and in 2020, she was awarded the Aquamarine Leadership Award by the National Association of Social Workers, New York City Chapter.
Thank you to our 2023 Webinar Sponsors!

New Horizons GIST Conference
2023-05-13 08:00 - 2023-05-14 17:00 (America/New_York)
In-Person Registrations are closed but you can still use the link to join virtually!
NEW HORIZONS GIST is the most important global annual conference for GIST patient advocates. At NEW HORIZONS GIST, patients from the global GIST patient community come together, can interact with top GIST experts, have access to state‐of‐the‐art medical and scientific information and can exchange best practice in patient advocacy among each other. The conference is a balanced symbiosis of medical content, advocacy topics and capacity building sessions. After more than 2 years living under the restrictions of the pandemic, we are happy to annouce that NEW HORIZONS GIST will be held as a hybrid meeting in 2023.
On behalf of the “NEW HORIZONS GIST Steering Committee”, we are very pleased to announce the 2023 NEW HORIZONS GIST Conference May 13 & 14 in Dublin, Ireland and online via Zoom – for the first time in conjunction with the SPAGN Annual Conference.
REGISTERPDF of agenda here

Clinical Trials 101
2023-05-19 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Dr. Ciara Kelly will be presenting “Clinical Trials 101” to GIST patients and caretakers on May 19th, 2023 at 12pm ET. During this virtual presentation, Dr. Kelly will discuss types of clinical trials, how to find a clinical trial, current open clinical trials, and more.
REGISTERAbout Our Presenter
Dr. Ciara Kelly,
Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Kelly is a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who has expertise in treating and researching bone and soft tissue sarcomas and merkel cell carcinoma. She works very closely with a team of medical oncologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, nurses, and patient support advocates.
Dr. Kelly’s research aims to develop new and more personalized therapies to treat sarcomas. She is actively involved in developing and designing clinical trials that will look at novel agents that target molecular changes within tumors. She is also studying innovative combination immunotherapy options that will harness a person’s own immune defenses to fight their cancer.
Dr. Kelly has a particular interest in advancing understanding of gastrointestinal stromal tumors and other sarcomas at the molecular level. She is using liquid biopsies to analyze tumor DNA in the blood and tumor biopsies to uncover a biomarker that will ultimately help match the best treatment option with each individual person’s tumor. Dr. Kelly is committed to designing and developing novel therapeutic clinical trials for GIST patients that incorporate correlative studies which provide an opportunity to further our understanding of this disease.
Thank you to our 2023 Webinar Sponsors!

GIST Day of Learning - Stanford
2023-05-20 08:30 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Stanford University Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, Fischer Conference Center, 326 Galvez Street, Stanford, California, 94305
GDOL Stanford is happening on May 20th, 2023
Stanford University’s Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center
326 Galvez Street Stanford Stanford, CA 94305-6105
Click here for AGENDA

REGISTERWhat is a GDOL?
A GDOL is a GIST Day of Learning. This is a free one day event to help patients and caregivers learn more about this rare cancer, find support, and enhance their knowledge base to help them navigate their cancer journey.
The mission of the Life Raft Group is to enhance survival and quality of life for people living with GIST through patient-powered research, education and empowerment, and global advocacy efforts. The LRG vision is to champion patient-powered science and drastically increase long-term survivorship for all cancer patients. To accomplish this, we rely on four key pillars:
– Leverage the patient perspective to drive innovative solutions in cancer research
– Educate and empower patients to take a larger role in their care
– Accelerate research outcomes through collaborative efforts
– Increase access to effective treatments worldwide
Thank you to our 2023 GDOL Sponsors!

Manejo de la Nutrición y Enfoques Multidisciplinarios en GIST
2023-05-25 19:00 (America/New_York)
Te invitamos a participar de este webinar organizado por Fundación #GIST México Inscripciones en el siguiente link –

We invite you to participate in this webinar organized by Fundación #GIST Mexico. Registration at the following link –

REGISTER

GIST Updates from ASCO
2023-06-20 18:30 (America/New_York)
ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) is an important conference in the oncology community where new scientific research updates are shared. The Life Raft Group is excited to host Dr. Herbert Loong, who will summarize abstracts and presentations that were presented during this conference that are relevant to the GIST patient community.
Please note that this webinar is not a substitute for your physician’s guidance and care.
REGISTERAbout Our Presenter
Herbert H. Loong, MD
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Dr. Herbert H. Loong holds conjoint appointments of Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Oncology and Deputy Medical Director of the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Centre of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also the current and founding convenor of the Prince of Wales Hospital Adult Sarcoma Multidisciplinary Team.
Dr. Loong obtained his medical degree with a Distinction in Surgery from The University of Hong Kong in 2003. He has completed a Fellowship in Drug Development at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada with a special focus on Experimental Therapeutics. His clinical and research interests also include Sarcoma Medical Oncology, Thoracic Oncology and Health Economics. He is a recipient of the European Cancer Congress Fellowship Grant (2013), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting Merit Award (2014), the Hong Kong College of Physicians Young Investigators’ Award (2014). Nominated by patients and their caregivers, Dr. Loong led the Lung Cancer Team at CUHK to be bestowed the IASLC Foundation Cancer Care Team Award in recognition for providing the best thoracic oncology care in “Asia & Rest of the World” in 2018.
Dr. Loong has served or continues to serve in various capacities in various professional international oncology bodies, including the International Affairs Committee and the Asia-Pacific Regional Council of ASCO, the Membership, Education and Communications Committees of the IASLC. He has been elected as a Board Member of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) for 2022-2024. He is also a founding executive committee member of the newly formed Asia Pacific Oncology Drug Development Network (APODDC). He is also a Board Member in the specialty of Medical Oncology in the Hong Kong College of Physicians. In his appointment as a Registration Committee member of Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong, he helps oversee the registration of medicinal products and clinical trials in the territory.
Thank you to our 2023 Webinar Sponsors!

GIST Awareness Day 2023
2023-07-13 12:00 - 13:15 (America/New_York)
July 13th, GIST Awareness Day, is a time where GIST experts, patients, caregivers can come together to educate the public about this disease and advocate towards finding a cure. The Life Raft Group invites GIST patients and caregivers to celebrate GIST Awareness Day with us on July 13th from noon to 1:15pm ET. During this virtual event, Dr. Jason Sicklick of UC San Diego Health, Dr. John Glod of the National Cancer Institute, and Dr. Venkata Ramesh Bulusu of Cambridge University Hospital will discuss GIST research updates. An interactive Q&A segment will follow their presentations.
Please note that this webinar is not a substitute for your physician’s guidance and care.
REGISTERAbout Our Presenters
Dr. Ramesh Bulusu
Cambridge University Hospitals
Dr. Ramesh Bulusu has trained at the Beatson Oncology Centre, Glasgow, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge and Churchill hospital, Oxford, before taking up his consultant position in Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge in 2002.Dr Bulusu is the founder/chairman of the Cambridge Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST) Study Group and the network lead for GISTs in Cambridge. He has served as the Track leader and member of the Sarcoma Track of the American Society of Clinical Oncology Scientific Committee from 2013-2017.
Dr Bulusu is passionate about GISTs and is currently heading a national focus group PAWS-GIST (paediatric, adolescent, wild type and syndromic).In 2014, he has established a national clinic in Cambridge for PAWS-GIST to facilitate research in this rare subgroup of GISTs.
He is actively involved in the training and education of health care professionals in the management of GISTs and has presented and lectured extensively, both nationally and internationally. He has co-authored the UK GIST guidelines in 2004, 2009 and 2017.
Dr. John Glod
NIH Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer
As a member of the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics section of the NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch, Dr. Glod’s research program focuses broadly on developing new therapies for the treatment of pediatric cancer patients with a focus on rare solid tumors. Dr. Glod has expertise in the management and treatment of patients with rare tumor predisposition syndromes including multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B and germline succinate dehydrogenase deficiency. He is the NCI principal investigator (PI) for a natural history study of patients with MEN2B and a single institution study of guadecitabine in SDH-deficient GIST, paraganglioma, and renal cell cancer as well as other early phase studies in pediatric oncology.
Dr. Jason Sicklick
Moores Cancer Center, US San Diego Health
is an NIH-funded investigator and Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center. He is a board-certified general surgeon and surgical oncologist specializing in the treatment of hepatobiliary diseases and sarcomas, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). In 2016, Dr. Sicklick was named the GIST Clinician of the Year by the Life Raft GIST Support Group, the largest GIST patient advocacy group in the world. In 2018, Dr. Sicklick was selected as a James IV Association of Surgeons fellow. This highly prestigious international traveling fellowship is designed to promote communication and collaboration in the surgical community. In 2018 he also received the RARE Champion of Hope in Medical Care & Treatment Award from the Global Genes-Allies in Rare Disease. He obtained his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine, completed his general surgery residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and completed a fellowship in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He joined the Division of Surgical Oncology at Moores Cancer Center in 2010.
Dr. Sicklick is an active member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Sarcoma and Hepatobiliary Committees, the Transatlantic Atlantic Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group, and the SDH GIST Consortium. Dr. Sicklick is on the Editorial Boards of Annals of Surgical Oncology, Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Journal of Surgical Research. He has published in prestigious journals such as Clinical Cancer Research, Annals of Surgery, JAMA Surgery, Surgery, and Annals of Surgical Oncology. His translational and clinical research focus on molecular mechanisms of GIST, as well as precision medicine approaches to cancer therapy.
Thank you to our 2023 Webinar Sponsors!

Understanding GIST Mutations & Clinical Trials Update
2023-07-30 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
In this session of Let’s Get the GIST of It, we will be reviewing GIST mutations and sharing the current updates on GIST Clinical Trials. The event will be interactive, so attendees are encouraged to ask questions and participate. Patients and caregivers are invited to attend.
The session will be hosted by Sahibjeet Parmar, Director of Data Management & Research at The Life Raft Group.
REGISTERAbout Our Presenter:
Sahibjeet Parmar
Director, Data Management & Research
In her role as the Director of Data Management & Research, Sahibjeet is responsible for a team of data management and research associates and data analysts in their day-to-day support of LRG patients and data science.
As the point person of The Life Raft Group’s GIST Patient Registry and GIST Collaborative Tissue Bank, Sahibjeet oversees the operations of these platforms including direct patient contact including outreach, medical updates, email community support, patient education, biospecimen handling and research collaborations.
