Debbie's Dream Foundation and the Korean Cancer Association Hosts More Than 900 Virtual Attendees from 50 Countries During the 2021 International Gastric Cancer Educational Symposium

The virtual event becomes the highest attended symposium for the foundation.

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Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer

Jul 02, 2021, 08:44 ET

PLANTATION, Fla., July 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer (DDF) and the Korean Cancer Association (KCA) hosted a record high 935 virtual attendees during the International Gastric Cancer Educational Symposium on Thursday, June 17, 2021. Approximately 50 countries were represented by attendees, making this symposium the conference with the highest number of registrants for DDF. Participants tuned in to presentations by medical experts from Korea, China, Japan, and the United States to help bridge the gap on early detection issues and highlight the differences in treatment options between the western and eastern world.

Led by Dr. Han- Kwang Yang, Director and Professor of Surgery at the Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, Korea, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for KCA, the program was hosted via Zoom and was simultaneously translated into four different languages: English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Topics highlighted include early screening and how it can be improved worldwide, advantages and disadvantages of varying surgery techniques, understanding systemic treatment, and new clinical trial options for gastric cancer patients. Registrants were also allowed to participate in the live Q&A during the patient panel discussions, allowing them to have their most pressing questions answered by patients and medical experts.

"The 2021 International Gastric Cancer Educational Symposium has had the most registrants to date," said Andrea Eidelman, Chief Executive Officer of DDF. "Having partnered with KCA and other Asian organizations, we reached far and wide to help bring this impertinent information to the stomach cancer community abroad. We are incredibly grateful to all of our partners for helping to make this event a huge success, and we look forward to hosting another conference like this soon."

Other Symposium partners included the Korean Gastric Cancer Association, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, and Japanese Gastric Cancer Association. Supporters for this event include Platinum Sponsors Bristol Myers Squibb and Merck, Silver Sponsor Astellas, and Bronze Sponsor Zymeworks. All video presentations from the symposium will be available for viewing in DDF's lecture library at https:debbiesdream.org/lecture-library/. In addition, DDF and KCA look forward to hosting an in-person or hybrid symposium in the fall. For more information, visit www.DebbiesDream.org.

About Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer
DDF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about gastric cancer, advancing funding for research, and providing education and support internationally to patients, families, and caregivers. DDF seeks as its ultimate goal to make the cure for stomach cancer a reality.

DDF was founded in 2009 by Debbie Zelman after she was diagnosed with stage IV incurable gastric cancer in 2008 and given only weeks to live. Debbie is considered a pioneer by many for bringing awareness to the plight of stomach cancer patients worldwide, as well as to the lack of federal funding for stomach cancer research. She did all of this while receiving hundreds of rounds of chemo, in addition to daily oral treatments. Debbie passed away on December 23, 2017, at the age of 50, almost a decade later. As a result of her leadership, DDF now has a Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of world-renowned doctors and chapters throughout the United States and in Canada and Germany. DDF strives to continue Debbie's mission and to make her dream a reality. To learn more about DDF, please visit us at www.DebbiesDream.org.

About the Korean Cancer Association
Korean Cancer Association (KCA) aims to prevent and control cancer, host meetings and lectures, issue reports and related publications, support cancer research, and cooperate with other related societies. The organization was formerly Korean Cancer Research Association and became KCA in 1974.

Media Contact:
Brittnay Starks Communications Coordinator
Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer (954) 475-1200
[email protected]
www.DebbiesDream.org

SOURCE Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer