Finding out that you, a loved one, or a friend has sarcoma cancer can be a frightening and stressful experience. All sorts of questions immediately spring to mind. "Do people survive this type of cancer?" "Will I die?" "What will happen to my family?" There is a new language to learn: CT Scan, MRI, bone scan, pathology report, chemotherapy, side effects, dosing, radiation therapy and metastasis. The list of challenges seems endless, and you are not the only one who feels this way!

Sarcoma Presents Challenges to Everyone it Touches.

Patients and professionals need access to Current information about sarcomas.

There are dozens of sarcoma subtypes, and the most recent information about them is scattered around the world. Knowledge and experience with sarcoma varies among medical centers and institutions.

Sarcoma researchers need access to targeted funding.

Researchers around the world are dedicated to studying sarcomas. In order to develop better treatments, these researchers need to study the unique types of sarcoma and learn more about them. Many sarcoma researchers must rely on private funding, because government funds are used for the more well-known cancers.

Sarcoma patients and their families need support.

Many sarcoma patients and their families face financial strain, obstacles to accessing appropriate medical care, and lack of adequate social support.

The mission of the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative is to improve the quality of life for people dealing with sarcoma. The Initiative increases public awareness of sarcoma, raises funds to award research grants, and provides support and timely information to sarcoma patients, their families, and medical professionals. These efforts are achieved through collaboration with numerous individuals and organizations that share a similar vision.

To Address the Challenges Presented by Sarcomas,
the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative Seeks to:

Publish the latest sarcoma information.

The Electronic Sarcoma Update Newsletter (ESUN) is an online, peer reviewed journal that is published bi-monthly. It is accessed by physicians, nurses, patients and caregivers around the world. Much of this information has been organized in the Sarcoma Learning Center for our website visitors.

Fund sarcoma research.

The Initiative funds research targeted at finding a cure for sarcoma and research that attempts to develop more effective treatments than those currently available. Each research proposal is peer reviewed by leading sarcoma experts, and only promising studies receive funding. We hope that the results of these research studies will be stepping stones to finding a cure for sarcoma.

Provide support for patients and families.

The Initiative compiles relevant and timely online resources for patients and medical professionals. We provide personal responses to questions from patients and their families. And we coordinate the Team Sarcoma Initiative to bring communities together in support and awareness.

December 15, 2009: The December Issue of ESUN has been published.

December 5, 2009: All proceeds from the sale of Scott Alcott's book - I'm Not Lance! - will be donated to the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative.

October 11, 2009: Thank you to everyone who supported our Cause during America's Giving Challenge this weekend. Though we announced our participation at the last minute, 135 people helped us raise $3,000 and win $500 in a daily online challenge.

September 22, 2009: The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative was acknowledged in the article "Small Round Cell Sarcomas" in the August 2009 issue of Seminars in Oncology.

August 31, 2009: Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute have discovered that Ewing's sarcoma patients with poor outcomes have tumors with high levels of a protein known as GSTM4, which may suppress the effects of chemotherapy. The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative contributed a $100,000 grant toward this study. Learn more about the study's findings in "New hope for deadly childhood bone cancer" in the Sarcoma Research Center.

August 15, 2009: Final reports have come in from the teams involved in this year's International Sarcoma Awareness Week. More than 16,800 people participated in events in 14 countries, raising more than $450,000 to support various cancer centers and advocacy groups. Learn more in the 2009 International Sarcoma Awareness Week Report.

August 15, 2009: The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative awarded a $25,000 grant to researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The study is entitled: "A Preclinical Mouse Model for Targeted Therapy in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma."

August 1, 2009: The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative was acknowledged in the article "A small molecule blocking oncogenic protein EWS-FLI1 interaction with RNA helicase A inhibits growth of Ewing’s sarcoma" in the July 2009 issue of Nature Medicine.

July 24, 2009: Ambassadors from Lithuania, Mexico, and New Zealand honored Team Sarcoma participants around the world at a special reception in Washington, DC. Learn more from the Team Sarcoma press release or the Team Sarcoma videos on YouTube.

July 5, 2009: In a discovery that rebuffs conventional scientific thinking, researchers at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have discovered a novel way to block the activity of the fusion protein responsible for Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare cancer found in children and young adults. The Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative and the Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation contributed a $50,000 grant for this study. Learn more about the study's findings in "Discovery Highlights New Direction For Drug Discovery" in the Sarcoma Research Center.