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.
Other Programs Supported by The Life Raft Group:
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.
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.
News
The LRG Welcomes Dr. Neeta Somaiah to Medical Advisory Board
The Life Raft Group welcomes our newest Medical Advisory Board (MAB) member Dr. Neeta Somaiah of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
What It Means To Be A GIST Mentor
US GIST Mentor Director, Santy DiSabatino, shares what having a Mentor means to the newly diagnosed and what being a GIST Mentor means to him and he makes an appeal for more volunteers to mentor LRG patients and caregivers.
A Thank You from Ukraine
Lidia Kornienko was searching for answers and when she reached out she found generous people willing to help assist her on the path to mutational testing and an effective treatment plan.
Partners Forever – Ira & Kay Stolzer
Our feature story is about a couple, Ira & Kay Stolzer, who have supported each other throughout their 41-year marriage and a GIST journey.
Clinical Trials Update – February 2022
In this summary, we continue highlighting recent clinical trials that are still recruiting in the U.S. which investigate potential treatments for GIST patients.
It’s Time to Tell the Stories – 2022
The Life Raft Group is celebrating our 20th anniversary as a nonprofit in 2022. For twenty years, our organization has been serving as a life raft for others navigating their GIST journeys.
Global Patient Involvement in Sarcoma Care
A recent paper published in Cancers by CTOS and SPAEN highlights major findings and proposes potential future steps in global sarcoma care.
Understanding sarcoma drug resistance one cell at a time
A new article published this month is presented by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Department of Sarcoma Medical Oncology. Understanding Sarcoma Drug Resistance One Cell at a Time discusses that the focus in GIST research is moving from the current focus on just histology, proteomics, and tumor genetics enabled by tumor samples, cell lines and mouse models which are limited in rare cancers like SDH-deficient GIST.
GLOBAL PARTNERS & AFFILIATIONS
