Race for Research

Gastric cancer – also called stomach cancer – is the 4th most common cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths around the world. While the number of people diagnosed with gastric cancer has declined due to increased screening and improved living standards, the overall outcomes for those diagnosed has not significantly improved during the last few decades. Funding for gastric cancer research is extremely low; however, with new scientific developments, research may lead to new, more effective therapies for gastric cancer patients. 

Jingwu Xie, PhD, the Jonathan and Jennifer Simmons Professor of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is actively working to improve outcomes for individuals with gastric cancer by conducting research that aims to identify new treatment options and prevent the progression of the cancer to other parts of the body. Professor Xie’s research has been supported in part by the National Institute of Health as well as a generous gift from Healthcare Initiatives, Inc. of Indianapolis. You can read more about Dr. Xie’s published work describing a new hope for treatment of drug resistant cancer cells.

Inspired by the death of a neighbor due to gastric cancer, Dr. Xie has been marathon training 5 times each week with the goal of increasing awareness of research of gastric cancer. On April 15, 2019, Jingwu will be participating in the Boston Marathon starting in Hopkinton, MA, and ending over 26 miles away on Boylston Street in Boston, MA. Your support of the Gastric Cancer Research Fund will help researchers at IU School of Medicine transform health outcomes for patients.