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
GIST Awareness Day 2020 – UK
GIST Cancer UK celebrated GIST Awareness Day by sharing stories of patient and clinicians. GIST Awareness Day was created by the Life Raft Group in 2014 to bring awareness and public attention to gastrointestinal stromal tumors and raise funds for #GISTresearch.
GIST Awareness Day 2020 – Chile
GIST Chile celebrated GIST Awareness Day 2020 with the themes #GISTHope and #GISTJuntos (GIST Together). You can find GIST Chile on [...]
GIST Awareness Day 2020 – India
Friends of Max (FOM), led by Viji Venkatesh, enthusiastically celebrated GIST Awareness Day 2020 with a plethora of posts and patient stories as well as patient meetings.
Blueprint & Deciphera Celebrate GIST Awareness Day 2020 – Galleries
Blueprint Medicines and Deciphera Pharmaceuticals celebrated GIST Awareness Day (GAD), July 13th, 2020, with Virtual Walks across the U.S. This year's GIST Awareness Day theme was #GISTHope.
RARE Partnership in Advocacy, Funding, and Research for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
Partnerships and collaborations are critical to the progress of research in rare diseases. GIST specialist & Pediatric & SDH-Deficient GIST Consortium member, Dr. Jason Sicklick, and LRG member, Debra Melikian, are working together find a cure for succinate dehydrogenase-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors (SDH-deficient GIST), a hereditary rare cancer syndrome which claimed the lives of Debra’s husband and her son Merak.
GIST Awareness Day 2020
GIST Awareness Day, July 13th, 2020 All GIST Awareness Day Celebrations for 2020: Spain Colombia WolfStrong Team U.S. Mexico UK (Britian) [...]
GIST Awareness Day 2020 – Hungary
András Szekfü, of Budapest, Hungary, shares his GIST journey in this video for GIST Awareness Day, a day set aside to bring awareness of this disease.
Life Raft Group Launches GIST Cook Cookbook with Cooking Demonstration
The LRG is hosting a virtual cooking demonstration with Chefs Rosemary and Drew Gabbe of The Fruited Plain of Parsippany, NJ, to launch our newly released cookbook, GIST Cook.
GLOBAL PARTNERS & AFFILIATIONS
