I live just outside of Chicago in Indiana, which is often convenient. I can get to Chicago easily on the train, takes about 45 minutes and lets me miss the horrible traffic. I spent the day in Chicago yesterday in my quest for cancer advocacy. I was recently asked if I would like my organization, the Appendix Cancer Connection, to be part of an a non-profit that is an alliance of GI cancer non-profits, the GI Cancer Alliance. Until this year they had all GI cancers represented…except for appendix cancer. GI cancers together are the most common of cancers, and also the most deadly. The goal of the organization is to will work to raise awareness, provide education and advocate to prevent, treat and cure gastrointestinal cancers. That is something we all want. Appendix cancer may one day benefit from research into GI cancers that may find biomarkers or genetic mutations that are common to all GI cancers. All GI cancers might benefit from new treatments. We are still our own organization, the Appendix Cancer Connection and independent, but we are also going to be working with the larger organization. I am now part of their healthcare advisory team.
I was in Chicago yesterday for their board meeting, which was excellently attended and was a well-spent 3 hours. This is a link to the organization: GI Cancer Alliance.
With their help, I was also able to attend the ASCO annual meeting in Chicago. ASCO is the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The meeting is huge, thousands of researchers and scientist from all over the world who are all trying to discover cures for cancer. You can learn of the newest therapies available. Currently immunotherapy is very big in the cancer world. It is being used with great success to treat some lung cancers, but at least so far, immunotherapy has not been found to be very successful for treatment of GI cancers. For many years I was involved with another very large research organization, the American Association for Cancer Research. I was part of their Scientist-Survivor Program. I was given many great opportunities via that organization.
I will like working with the GI Cancer Alliance, and they want to help me in my work with the Appendix Cancer Connection. They say I need to get on Twitter! I have never used Twitter, but I guess I need to learn how to use it! If any of you can give me any help or links to Twitter education, I’d appreciate it!!