Our Mission

The Gastric Cancer Fund is the first organization dedicated to helping people fight gastric cancer.  Through education, research, support and advocacy, the organization is dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by gastric cancer and working with leading researchers to find a cure to this disease. 

The Gastric Cancer Fund has joined with The V Foundation for Cancer Research, creating a powerful relationship for both organizations to achieve their common goal of fighting cancer.  In this partnership, the Gastric Cancer Fund will work with The V Foundation to raise money for cancer research and will leverage The V Foundation’s infrastructure for scientific evaluation, grant management and oversight, financial administration and marketing support. All donations are 100% tax deductible and can be made directly to The V Foundation with The Gastric Cancer Fund on the memo line. 

Education and Support

One of the greatest frustrations about being diagnosed with gastric cancer is the lack of consolidated, credible information on this disease and the most successful treatment plans available.  The Gastric Cancer Fund is dedicated to providing comprehensive, current data on the disease and clear information on how to most effectively fight it.  In addition, since treatment is life altering (most patients require partial or total gastrectomy – removal of part of all of the patient’s stomach), education regarding living and thriving is as important as the cure.

Complimenting the promotion of current, credible information on the causes and treatment plans available for gastric cancer, the Gastric Cancer Fund aims to provide a support network for those affected with the disease.  Referrals for comprehensive treatment facilities, survivor stories and access to those experienced with the struggle are a key element of the fund.   

Research

There is significant opportunity to improve gastric cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention.  Key to any gastric cancer research project is building a large, statistically significant database that houses all pertinent information regarding gastric cancer patients and their families.  Currently, no such regional or national database exists.  To address this shortcoming, the Gastric Cancer Fund is building the first national gastric cancer registry to help better understand gastric cancer and to serve as a resource to help develop strategies and policies for its prevention, treatment and to maximize quality of life issues after treatment.

The availability of data on gastric cancer will allow researchers to analyze geographic, ethnic, occupational and other differences that provide clues that point to risk factors. The data also will help determine if early detection, educational or other programs should be directed.  Since gastric cancer treatment has a significant effect on patients’ lives (partial or total gastrectomy) the registry will also help to research and determine behavioral or lifestyle changes that will optimize life after the disease.

Once the gastric cancer registry is created, the fund will finance leading researchers in both basic science and translational research focused on gastric cancer.  The goal will be to select and support young, promising researcher to develop and test hypotheses against the registry.  Initially, the fund will support two to four research grants for $50,000 annually.  The number of grants will be determined by the funding received in year one. 

Advocacy

There is a great need to increase the public’s consciousness around gastric cancer.  The Gastric Cancer Fund is dedicated to increasing both local and national awareness around gastric cancer, as well as the helping other cancer organizations increase the collective focus on all types of cancer research.  Our country needs a renewed national commitment to cancer research. Every day more than 1,500 Americans die of cancer, underscoring the urgency of increasing funding and getting discoveries to patients as quickly as possible.