The Life Raft Group Hosts International Meeting of Patient Advocates and Medical Experts

WAYNE, N.J. - May 6, 2019 - PRLog -- The Life Raft Group (LRG), a patient advocacy organization specializing in GIST cancer, announced today that they are hosting the 2019 New Horizons GIST Meeting at Life Raft headquarters, Wayne, New Jersey on May 8-10, 2019.

New Horizons GIST is an annual conference that gathers representatives from 18 countries to discuss critical information about GIST (Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor), a rare cancer that impacts the global patient and medical communities. Participants have opportunities to interact with key opinion leaders from the medical community, learn new medical and scientific information about GIST, exchange best practices and discuss advocacy issues.

The conference is planned by an international steering committee consisting of David Josephy, GIST Sarcoma Life Raft Group (http://liferaftgroup.ca/welcome/) (Canada); Piga Fernandez, Alianza GIST/Fundación GIST Chile (Chile) (http://www.gistchile.cl/); Markus Wartenberg, Das Lebenshaus (Germany); Martin Wettstein, Swiss GIST Group (http://www.sarcoma-patients.eu/en/switzerland-swiss-gist-...) (Switzerland); Ginger Sawyer, GIST Support International (http://www.gistsupport.org/) (USA); and Norman Scherzer, The Life Raft Group (USA).

Experts presenting include Dr. Ping Chi, Dr. Joseph Erinjeri and Dr. Ciara Kelly of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Dr. Jason Sicklick, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego; Sue-Ann Woo, Foundation Medicine; Dr. Albiruni R. Abdul Razak, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada, and Lucinda Orsini, ISPOR.

International organizations represented include GIST Sarcoma Life Raft Group Canada; Alianza GIST/Fundación GIST Chile; Fundación GIST Mexico; Das Lebenshaus e.V;  The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR); SPAEN; Fundación GIST Colombia; Fundación SIMMONS, Colombia; Association des Pacientes con LMC ASOPALEU, Guatamala; Recovering Together Association, Hungary; The Friends of Max, India; Israeli GIST Group; Gisters Japan; Henzo Kenya; Patiëntenplatform Sarcomen, Netherlands; Polish GIST Patients Aid Association; GIST Group Macedonia; GIST-Gruppe Schweiz, Switzerland and GIST Support, U.K.

Representing organizations from the United States include GIST Support International as well as The Life Raft Group.

The event is sponsored by Blueprint Medicines, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Novartis Oncology and Pfizer Oncology.

To quote Norman Scherzer, Executive Director of the Life Raft Group: "The New Horizons GIST Conference provides the leading advocates and experts with a global platform to share innovative research and strategies that enable patients to not only survive, but also to thrive."

About the Life Raft Group

The Life Raft Group is a non-profit with a simple focus:  to cure a form of cancer – GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumors) – and to help those living with it until then. The mission is to ensure the survival of GIST patients through a comprehensive approach connecting individual patients' needs, the worldwide community of GIST advocates and the global health and research environment. This is achieved by focusing on three key areas: Patient Support & Education, Advocacy and Research.

To learn more, visit www.liferaftgroup.org