Stupid Cancer is a leading organization in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer community space. Founded in 2007, Stupid Cancer fulfills its mission of helping to empower everyone affected by AYA cancer by ending isolation and building community through their unique and innovative online and in-person programs. Every year, Stupid Cancer hosts CancerCon, a conference that brings together AYA survivors, advocates, and healthcare providers to share experiences and build community. Other Stupid Cancer programs include their monthly topical discussion series, weekly meetups, webinars, and a health disparities town hall, which aims to support and understand the experiences of AYAs from marginalized communities. The Stupid Cancer website hosts a wealth of information for AYA cancer survivors, including resources on how to navigate college and career, mental health, building relationships and a family, and more. MyPART welcomes Stupid Cancer as an advocacy partner and looks forward to collaborating on how to improve the lives of adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Dr. Jaydira Del Rivero attended the annual American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, IL, and co-chaired a symposium with Dr. Fumiko Ladd Chino from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center entitled “Aspirations of Equity in Oncology Clinical Science Symposium.” Dr. Del Rivero specializes in endocrine tumors. Learn more about Dr. Del Rivero and her work here.

• Pediatric Oncology Branch (POB) staff participated in the annual Children’s Cancer Foundation, Inc. Research Symposium on June 8^th. Lasker Clinical Research Scholar and POB scientist, Dr. Jack Shern, presented the keynote address, “Targeted Treatment Strategies Based on Understanding of the Molecular Mechanisms of Tumors.” POB physician scientist early-investigator, Dr. Rosa Nguyen, presented on immunocytokines in neuroblastoma.
• New video on olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) added to the MyPART website. This video is a recording of the third annual patient education meeting on ONB, hosted by Dr. Nyall London from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) Sinonasal and Skull Base Tumors Program, and features Dr. Gary Gallia and Dr. Murray Ramanathan, experts in otolaryngology and olfactory neuroblastoma.
• Webinar on June 27^th, “Gene Mutations and Precision Cancer Medicine,” hosted by Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation, TargetCancer Foundation, and Angiosarcoma Awareness, Inc. This webinar, hosted by three MyPART advocacy partners, was the first of 4 virtual seminars that will provide education on how precision medicine is being used to treat rare cancers. Precision medicine refers to the concept of using therapies that are specifically targeted towards existing mutations in a patient’s tumor cells. Learn more about this webinar here and follow MyPART on Twitter at @NCI_CCR_PedOnc to learn about future webinars in this series.

• July is Sarcoma Awareness Month. Sarcomas form in the soft tissues of the body, including nerves, muscles, fat, and other connective tissues, or can also form in bone. There are over 80 different types of sarcoma. MyPART partners with many sarcoma-focused advocacy organizations, including Sarcoma Alliance for Research Collaboration (SARC), Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA), and many organizations focused on specific types of rare sarcomas. Visit MyPART’s advocacy partners page here to learn more about our sarcoma partners.
• July 13^th: GIST Awareness Day. Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) is a type of digestive system tumor affecting 4,000 to 6,000 people per year. SDH-deficient GIST is a rare type of GIST, making up only 5% to 7.5% of all GIST cases, and does not respond to treatments for more common types of GIST. MyPART studies SDH-deficient GIST as part of the Natural History Study of Rare Solid Tumors and partners with Life Raft Group, an advocacy organization for GIST patients and families. Learn more about GIST Awareness Day activities here.
• July 15^th: Leiomyosarcoma Awareness Day. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare type of soft tissue tumor that grows in the smooth muscle of the body. MyPART partners with two LMS-focused groups: Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation and the National Leiomyosarcoma Foundation.
• July 29^th: National Intern Day. MyPART celebrates our trainees who are vital to the MyPART team and its mission of improving the lives of people with rare solid tumors, whether in the lab or in the clinic. Thank you to our trainees! Learn more about training opportunities in the POB here. MyPART would also like to wish Hannah Smith good luck as she leaves MyPART to start medical school this summer. Congratulations Hannah!
• September 14-16^th: The annual Pediatric and Wild-type GIST Clinic. The GIST Clinic will be held in hybrid format (both virtual and on campus at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland). Learn more about the GIST Clinic and fill out an application here.