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Gastric Cancer Registry Grows through New Partnership
The Gastric Cancer Registry has announced a promising new partnership with the Intermountain Biorepository at Intermountain Healthcare (IMH), the largest healthcare provider in Utah. The IMH Biorepository will search its archives of over 4.5 million tissue samples to identify cases of gastric cancer that can be analyzed to yield additional data and increased knowledge of the disease. "We are excited that this collaboration will enable historic samples to contribute to current, clinically relevant research," said Hanlee Ji, MD, the Registry's principal investigator. "This will improve our understanding of gastric cancer genetics and in turn benefit future patients."

The Gastric Cancer Registry team will apply next generation sequencing techniques to deeply analyze these gastric tumors to better understand the genomic changes that occur in the development of cancer.

The Gastric Cancer Foundation established the Gastric Cancer Registry with the generosity of Diane and Ron Weintraub, in memory of their beloved daughter, Beth Weintraub Schoenfeld.
All patients and family members are urged to enroll in the Gastric Cancer Registry. You are eligible if you are 18 years of age or older and meet at least one of the following criteria:
  1. You have or had a diagnosis of gastric cancer.
  2. You have a family history of gastric cancer in a first or second degree relative.
  3. You have a known pathogenic mutation in the gene CDHA.
Pineapple Smoothie Express!
Foundation board member and "Chef without a Stomach" Hans Rueffert tackles the delicious pineapple along with a few other unsuspecting foods to create a nutrient dense and colorfully flavorful smoothie. Go ahead and try making this version that features silken tofu and spirulina - or add your own colorful flavors and share it with us! Just be sure to include the bromelain-powered pineapple for a delicious smoothie that aids digestion. Find more episodes at the Gesundheit Kitchen on gastriccancer.org.
Gastric Cancer Summit at Stanford
A Gastric Cancer Summit will be held at Stanford University on March 5-6, organized by Stanford’s Center for Asian Health Research and Education (CARE) and the Stanford Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The inaugural two-day gathering will bring together physicians, researchers, policy makers, patients, and advocacy groups from around the United States and the world, to share experiences and discoveries, with the goal of creating a roadmap to address the healthcare disparity that exists in gastric cancer. 

We hope to see you at the summit. Attendance is free, but registration is required. If you are unable to attend in person, select presentations will be livestreamed and archived for viewing afterward.
Research Roundup
Gastric Cancer Foundation attended the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco. Here are a few of the exciting developments that we learned about:

A blood test being developed to detect cancer at its earliest stages was 90% effective at finding stomach cancers. The test detects “cell-free DNA,” or bits of cancer DNA that’s cast off into the bloodstream, to find cancer before symptoms appear.

Leap Therapeutics announced that in a phase 1/2 study of its drug DKN-01 in patients with advanced esophageal or gastric cancer, it found a strong correlation between high levels of the biomarker DKK1 in tumors and a positive response to the drug.

Taiho Oncology presented data from its phase 3 trials of Lonsurf showing that in patients with metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer, hematologic adverse events in patient with renal impairment were easily manageable and in line with what’s seen in the general patient population. 
Help Finding Clinical Trials is Just a Click or Call Away
Our free and confidential Clinical Trial Navigator can make patients aware of studies of new and potentially groundbreaking therapies that may be available to them. The service is simple to use and there's no limit to how often patients and caregivers can use it. Here's how it works:
  • Start by clicking "match to trials" on our Clinical Trial Navigator. You'll be asked to create an account (it's quick and free!). After a few questions about your diagnosis, the service will suggest the clinical trials that are most appropriate for you.
OR
  • Want more personalized assistance? Call 1-855-731-6032 and a trained navigator will help complete your profile, locate clinical trials, explain the process, and answer any questions.
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