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Clinical Trials Can Help You
And We Can Help You Find Them
The Gastric Cancer Foundation is now offering a valuable service:  The Clinical Trial Navigator . This free, confidential, online tool can direct patients to studies of new and potentially groundbreaking therapies. 

Right now, there are more than 500 clinical trials for gastric cancer patients in the US. The Clinical Trial Navigator can help you take part in this important research.

Clinical trials are vital for research so that we can ultimately find a cure. Thanks to clinical trials, the past decade has ushered in tremendous advances in cancer treatments, from drugs that help the immune system to recognize and attack cancer, to treatments tailored to each patient's genetic profile and tumors.

The Clinical Trial Navigator   is simple to use. Family members can conduct searches on behalf of their loved ones and there's no limit to how often patients and caregivers use the service. Here's how it works:
1. Start by clicking "match to trials" on our  Clinical Trial Navigator . You'll be asked to create an account (it's quick and free!).

2. Answer a few questions about your diagnosis and the service will suggest the clinical trials that are most appropriate for you.

3. Want some help? Click on "Request A Contact" and a trained navigator can help complete your profile, locate clinical trials, explain the process, and answer any questions.
Clinical trial participants often get early access to treatments that could end up changing the course of their disease for the better, and they are given top-notch clinical care throughout the process. Patients are sometimes reluctant to volunteer for clinical trials because they can seem like a "last resort" or they worry that they won't receive quality care. But nothing could be further from the truth.

Still hesitant about joining a clinical trial? It may help to learn about the experiences of other patients who have participated in trials.  Head over to our online community and join the Smart Patients gastric cancer community . Search for "clinical trial" and you'll pull up a list of conversations you can join with other patients who are happy to share their experiences.

This service for gastric cancer patients was created with the generosity of Stupid Strong Charitable Foundation, in loving memory of their founder and hero, Candace Netzer.
Hiking to Support Gastric Cancer Research
Jason Bosinoff is truly going the distance to support the search for a cure! On March 1st he'll be leaving his position as Director of Engineering at Airbnb, and days later will embark on his next great adventure - a 650-mile solo hike to increase awareness of gastric cancer and raise funds to support the work of the Gastric Cancer Foundation. Jason's trek will follow the Southern California Section of the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mexican border to the start of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

Athletic challenges are nothing new for Jason. He has hiked the John Muir Trail from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite, has climbed the summit of the tallest 115 mountains in New England and New York, and has bicycled across America from Boston to San Francisco.

But this challenge is different. 

The cause is personal for Jason and his wife, Katy. Katy's brother, Ben Feinstein, died from gastric cancer almost ten years ago at the age of 20. Ever since, the entire extended family has been involved in the search for improved detection, treatment, and a cure for this deadly disease. 

The hike is expected to take approximately six weeks, solo with only a satellite device that will enable him to stay in touch along the way.

You can provide encouragement to Jason - and support gastric cancer research --  by making a tax-deductible contribution to Gastric Cancer Foundation through his FirstGiving fundraising page

Follow us on Facebook  to receive updates as Jason moves along the trail.  Visit Jason's blog  to follow along and learn more.
Research Roundup
New gastric cancer research this month included a focus on treatment options. Researchers from Cardiff University discovered new information about the underlying mechanisms for gastric cancer, providing hope for potential new treatments.  Read the study here .  

Meanwhile, a clinical model assessing key features of the tumor microenvironment was able to accurately predict which patients with early gastric cancer had lymph node metastasis. This could be used to determine the optimal treatment.  Read the full study here .
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