The digestive system is a group of organs that work together to feed the entire body by converting food into energy and basic nutrients. Food is ingested through the mouth; passed through the esophagus into the stomach; and filtered through the small intestine, pancreas and liver. Based on its particular function, each organ contributes in different ways to turn the food we eat into the nutrients we need.
Susan Brandt 6 YEARS “As my 6th Gist cancerversary approaches, I realize that the two most important things in my life now are Hope and Thanks. Hope is for a cure for all of [...]
On February 4, 2016, Life Raft Group member Noha Hussein attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) Capitol Hill Briefing on their report, “Clinical Cancer Advances 2016,” in Washington, DC at the Rayburn [...]
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology found that the use of adjuvant systemic therapy with imatinib for GIST has increased significantly over time, and that patients treated with the [...]
A recent study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine reports a link between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and an increased risk of kidney disease. More research is warranted to show PPIs [...]
Although GIST is among the few rare diseases that has oral chemotherapy drug treatment options available to its patients, the cost of affording these life saving medications can sometimes impose deep financial hardship depending [...]
The Life Raft Group GIST Collaborative Tissue Bank consists of a collection of tumor specimens from a large number of patients, stored at Stanford University. The advantages of having a tissue bank for a [...]
On February 1, 2016, the commercial launch of the generic version of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec), for CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia) was approved by the FDA after the Novartis patent expiration and will become available for the first time in the United States through Sun Pharmaceuticals.
According to a 2015 report by the National Alliance of Caregivers, approximately 43.5 million adults in the United States provided unpaid care to an adult or child in 2015. Caregivers come from diverse demographic [...]
The heart is at the center of the cardiovascular system, the main function of which is to pump blood throughout the body, providing tissue and organs with the oxygen and nutrients they need. To [...]
