The Gastric Cancer Foundation is proud to be a Founding Supporter of Test Your Biomarkers, a national education and awareness campaign launched on February 4, World Cancer Day, to inform people about the importance of biomarker testing in the treatment of stomach cancer. The Foundation has joined with an unprecedented alliance of researchers, oncologists, patients, caregivers, pharmaceutical companies and advocacy groups to reach the largest possible audience with this vital information.

Cancer biomarkers are bits of information unique to an individual and their cancer. It is important to test for biomarkers as soon as treatment is considered, because early testing ensures that you and your healthcare team will be able to identify the very best personalized treatment options - now and in the future.



“Historically, stomach cancer has had low survival rates. But today, new drugs and treatment options are improving patient outcomes,” says NCI’s Jeremy Davis, a member of the Test Your Biomarkers Medical Advisory Committee. “The key, however, is ensuring that patients get biomarker testing so they can be paired with a treatment specific to their cancer’s unique information.”

The Gastric Cancer Foundation is partnering with CancerCare to present a special Connect Education workshop, "Advances in the Treatment of Gastric Cancer" on Monday, March 11 from 1:30–2:30pm, Eastern Time. You can connect to the live workshop online or listen over the phone.

Hear about the latest developments in gastric cancer care through discussions on topics such as the newest treatments, precision medicine, nutrition tips, telehealth, and clinical trials. You will also have the chance to ask your questions.

Panel of Experts:

Geoffrey Y. Ku, MD

Medical Oncologist, Head of the Esophagogastric Section, Gastrointestinal Oncology Service, Assistant Attending Physician, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Mohamad Bassam Sonbol, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Senior Associate Consultant, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Gastrointestinal Cancer Program, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix, AZ

Diana L. Bearden, MS, RD, CSO, LD, CNSC

Oncology Dietitian, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Register to access the workshop:

Hans visits Stacy Martin to learn about her journey since discovering her CDH1 mutation and undergoing a total gastrectomy. As she relearned how to eat with a changed digestive system and new nutrition needs, she turned the challenge into a company that produces packaged healthy snacks for the stomach cancer community and everyone else. Hans and Stacy share how they have learned to adapt and thrive in their “new normal.”

This episode is Part One of a two-part series. Be on the lookout for Part Two, coming soon.

Researchers around the world are driving innovative research and discovery:

A research team from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a deep learning-based radio-pathologic model that integrates CT images and histopathological whole-slide images to accurately predict lymph node metastasis stage in gastric cancer patients.

A research team led by the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine has discovered that the stromal cell-derived factor 4 (SDF-4) protein is a reliable cancer marker.