The Project
The Life Raft Group (LRG) launched this website, What does a cure mean for you? to find out exactly that…
We want to know what a cure actually means to those people who are dealing with cancer every day. Unfortunately, cancer has touched us all in some way - whether you’re just concerned about it, you or someone you love has cancer, or you have lost someone to cancer.
We also want to show the scientific world that their work REALLY means something. We want to remind them that we are here, we are counting on them and we are real people.
Support the project and tell us what a cure means to you!
Who is the Life Raft Group?
The Life Raft Group is an organization that provides support, information and assistance to patients and families with a rare cancer called Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST). The LRG achieves this by providing an online community for patients and caregivers, supporting local in-person meetings, patient education through monthly newsletters and webcasts, one-on-one patient consultations, and most importantly, managing a major research project to find the cure for GIST.
Why does Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) matter?
A cure for GIST will unlock the cure for many other cancers. GIST serves as a model for curing other cancers because of its simple molecular nature that serves as a learning tool for scientists to unravel the mysteries that will help cure other cancers.
Pathway to a Cure
Pathway to a Cure began in 2006 with a five-year strategic plan to find ways to help those who are failing to respond to current GIST therapies. GIST is one of many fast growing, deadly cancers, so time is of the essence. Despite the $116 billion spent on biomedical research in 2006, cancer death rates over the last 50 years have hardly changed. Based on 2004 data from the National Cancer Institute, death rates from cancer are virtually the same as they were in 1950.
With this traditional research and drug development process taking as long as 15 years to produce new therapies, LRG decided to take action.
We are building new research paradigms that will produce better and faster research results for those living with GIST and, ultimately, other cancers. Instead of handing over money to cancer research and just waiting for answers, the LRG opted to direct a more focused approach on areas that are crucial to fast track a cure. With this approach, we have entered into a successful partnership with the research community because they see the value that patients bring to the decision-making table. The LRG has funded the top GIST scientists in the world, which we call the “LRG Dream Team” to collaborate and coordinate their efforts to bring us to a cure. Pathway to a Cure was born.
Our goals are clear:
First, turn GIST from a life-threatening illness into a chronic disease.
Second, find a cure.
As the race against the clock ticks louder every day, the LRG remains steadfast in its commitment to fulfilling its mission of ensuring the survival of GIST patients. Our goals not only remain clear but, more importantly, are within reach.
LRG’s Pathway to a Cure is making strides but we cannot reach our goal alone. We invite you to be part of this endeavor so that we can save lives today and create a legacy of hope.
LRG’S RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY
Imagine
Planning replaces Disorganization
Cooperation replaces Competition
Urgency replaces Complacency
Imagine
A Cure for Cancer
Imagine That
View the LRG’s “Imagine” Research video