Patient Support
The core of our mission is to provide support to Canadian GIST patients as well as their families and caregivers. We can do this in several ways. We hold meetings from time to time, across the country. We welcome your enquiries, by Toll Free telephone 1-855-LRG-GIST (574-4478) or by e-mail (info@liferaftgroup.ca). We are working with doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and government to improve access for Canadian patients to drugs and clinical trials. We hope to develop this web site as a valuable source of information about GIST care in Canada.
The directory of physicians who have a particular interest in GIST can be found on the Medical Professionals page.
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Beginning in May 2011, GIST Sarcoma Life Raft Group, Canada is conducting a survey of our members. LRG Canada would like to learn more about GIST patients' access to GIST Specialists, treatment, and drugs. We will be phoning all of our members, however for those members who would prefer to complete a written survey, a downloadable version is available here: May 2011 Survey.
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GIST Alliance is a new program that can provide financial and other support to GIST patients, including help with the cost of drugs. GIST Alliance is an independent agency and is not connected to the Life Raft Group.
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A Randomized, Open Label, Multi-center Phase III Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Nilotinib Versus Imatinib in Adult Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)
Canadian institutions involved in this study are identified in this Clinical Trial website (includes most of the Canadian GIST experts listed on our Medical Professionals page).
Information about clinical trials, and the rationale to participate, can be found on the U.S.A. Life Raft Group website. Canadian patients are often able to participate in these clinical trials.
Please note that recruitment of patients for the above clinical trial is now complete.