Liposarcoma Support Network

Myxoid Liposarcoma Panel
2025-09-29 12:30 (America/New_York)
LSN is partnering with Duke Sarcoma Center to present “Myxoid Liposarcoma: Insights Into A Unique Sarcoma” with Dr. Brian Brigman, Dr. William Jeck, Dr. Nicole Larrier & Dr. Richard Riedel of Duke Sarcoma Center, Duke Cancer Institute on September 29, at 12:30PM ET.
Join us for an expert-led discussion focused on Myxoid Liposarcoma, a rare and distinctive subtype of soft tissue sarcoma. Gain valuable insights into its pathology, surgical management, radiation therapy, and systemic treatment. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.
These webinars are for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any treatment or lifestyle changes. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to truggiero@liposarcomasupport.org
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Liposarcoma Uncovered
2025-11-04 11:00
Insights from 11K+ Patients in the NETSARC+ Registry
Join Professor Jean-Yves Blay as he presents findings from the largest nationwide study of liposarcomas, encompassing 11,000+ patients from the NETSARC+ registry. This session will explore the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of the diverse histological subtypes of liposarcoma, including well-differentiated, dedifferentiated, myxoid, pleomorphic, and rarer forms. Attendees will gain insights into age- and sex-related differences in incidence and prognosis, as well as the importance of specialized sarcoma centers for optimal patient care.
These webinars are for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any treatment or lifestyle changes. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to truggiero@liposarcomasupport.org
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About Our Presenter:
Professor Jean-Yves Blay
Le Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France
Jean-Yves Blay, oncologist, is professor of Medicine at the University of Lyon I, Director General of the Cancer Center Léon Bérard in Lyon, and President of the French Federation of CCC Unicancer. His work focuses on sarcoma, rare cancers, guiding targeted treatments using genomics, and immuno-oncology. He is a researcher at the Cancer Research Center of Lyon, director of SIRIC LYRICAN+, President of the French Sarcoma Group and the Sarcoma expert network NETSARC+, director of ERN-EURACAN of the European Commission, Director of Public Policies of ESMO, and former president of the EORTC. He has co-authored more than 1000 articles & “Highly cited Researcher” since 2019.

Radiation in Liposarcoma - Jan 27
2026-01-27 12:00
Dr. Katie Lee, a radiation oncologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, will discuss the critical role of radiation therapy in the treatment of liposarcoma. She will review current radiation approaches across liposarcoma subtypes, key factors that guide treatment timing and dosing, and advances in techniques designed to improve outcomes while minimizing side effects.
If you would like to submit questions prior to the webinar, you can forward them to truggiero@liferaftgroup.org
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These webinars are for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any treatment or lifestyle changes. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to truggiero@liferaftgroup.org

About Our Presenter:
Dr. Katie N. Lee is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she specializes in the treatment of sarcoma and thoracic cancers. Dr. Lee graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota with dual degrees in biochemistry and chemistry. She was named a Rhodes Scholar and attended the University of Oxford where she received a M.Sc. in Immunology. She then earned her M.D. and Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School as part of the NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Program. Dr. Lee completed residency training in the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital, where she served as Co-Chief of Mentorship.
As a physician-scientist with deep expertise in translational oncology, Dr. Lee leads Mayo Clinic’s biobanking initiative for sarcoma blood and tissue samples and is developing clinical trials that leverage advanced MRI and radiation techniques, artificial intelligence, and molecular biomarkers to improve and personalize therapy for patients with soft tissue and retroperitoneal sarcomas. Her research has helped shape emerging approaches in hypofractionated radiation therapy for retroperitoneal sarcoma and has contributed important insights into radiographic predictors of treatment response, metastatic risk, and radiation-related toxicities. Nationally, she serves on the NRG Oncology Sarcoma and Early Career Mentorship Subcommittees and is a core member of the NRG Lung Cancer Committee and collaborates broadly across institutions to advance sarcoma clinical trials. Dedicated to improving outcomes for sarcoma patients, Dr. Lee integrates compassionate clinical care with innovation at the intersection of imaging, biology, and technology.

Histotripsy Demystified - Feb 25
2026-02-25 12:00
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The Life Raft Group is proud to present “Histotripsy Demystified: Truths and Misconceptions Explained,” taking place on February 25, 2026, from 12:00–1:30 PM ET.
This webinar features an expert panel moderated by Dr. Elizabeth Lilley of Brigham and Women’s Hospital with Dr. Hop Tran Cao (MD Anderson Cancer Center), Dr. Suzanne George (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), Dr. Christina Angeles (University of Michigan), Dr. Alicia Gingrich (University of Nevada/Renown Health System) and Dr. Jiping Wang and Dr. Chandrajit Raut (Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School).
This virtual discussion is open to patient and caregivers of ALL sarcoma types.
Histotripsy is a noninvasive treatment that uses focused ultrasound to mechanically destroy targeted tissue without surgery, incisions, or radiation. The procedure has only recently moved into human clinical trials and clinical use, with the first FDA clearance for treating liver tumors granted in October 2023 and broader study and adoption continuing through the mid-2020s.

This virtual panel discussion will bring together experts from multiple institutions to share diverse perspectives on histotripsy, including how the technology works, where the science currently stands, and common myths and misconceptions. Because histotripsy is being explored across multiple tumor types, the discussion will be relevant and beneficial to all sarcoma patients seeking to better understand emerging treatment approaches and their potential future role in care. A moderated Q&A segment will follow the discussion.

These webinars are for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any treatment or lifestyle changes. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to truggiero@liferaftgroup.org

About Our Presenters:
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Lilley is a surgical oncologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital specializing in the management of soft tissue sarcomas, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), with a special focus on robotic and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Lilley is triple board certified in surgical oncology, general surgery, and palliative medicine. Her research focuses on improving the quality of surgical care for patients with metastatic and recurrent cancers by improving communication surrounding the goals and outcomes of surgery.
Dr. Lilley earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Lafayette College, a master’s of public health from Columbia University, and a medical degree from Rutgers. She completed general surgery residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, followed by the Harvard Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Fellowship. Upon completing fellowship training in Complex General Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, she joined the faculty at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she now leads a health services research program centered on the intersection of surgical oncology and palliative care. Her combined expertise in both sarcoma surgery and palliative medicine uniquely positions her to improve the person-centered care of patients with advanced sarcomas.

Dr. Christina Angeles is an Associate Professor with Tenure of Surgery, Associate Professor of Dermatology, and Faculty Member in the Cancer Biology PhD Program at the University of Michigan in the Division of Surgical Oncology. She earned her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed general surgery residency at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center. While in residency she completed a two-year basic/translational science Surgical Oncology Research Fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) focusing on the molecular biology and novel therapeutics for sarcoma. After residency, Dr. Angeles returned to MSKCC and completed a clinical Complex Surgical Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Angeles is board-certified in both General Surgery and Complex General Surgical Oncology. She is the Director of the Regional Cancer Therapies Clinic at University of Michigan/Rogel Cancer Center.
Dr. Angeles is a nationally recognized surgeon-scientist dedicated to advancing cancer care through innovative research and compassionate patient care. As the lead investigator for multiple clinical trials at the Rogel Cancer Center, she is at the forefront of developing new treatments for melanoma and sarcoma. Her laboratory studies the immune system’s role in fighting cancer, with a special focus on how resident memory T cells can help create long-lasting protection against tumors. By combining basic science and translational research, Dr. Angeles and her team are working to transform discoveries in the lab into effective new therapies for patients. Dr. Angeles’s research has been supported by the American Cancer Society, the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Society of Surgical Oncology, and the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI-NIH).

Dr. Suzanne George is the Division Chief of the Sarcoma Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute where leads a team focused on research and clinical care of patients with sarcomas and GIST. She has an extensive research experience in clinical trials and drug development and cares for patient from across New England, the US and internationally.

Dr. Alicia Gingrich is a surgical oncologist at the University of Nevada, Reno. She attended medical school at the University of Kansas prior to completing general surgery residency at the University of California, Davis. She trained at MD Anderson for her complex general surgical oncology fellowship. Dr. Gingrich’s clinical practice focuses on soft tissue sarcoma and GIST as well as hepatobiliary tumors. The University of Nevada, Reno/Renown were one of the early adopters of Histotripsy and have been performing this procedure for 2 years. She utilizes Histotripsy for select patients with liver tumors.

Dr. Chandrajit P. Raut is a dedicated surgical oncologist who specializes in the multidisciplinary care of patients with soft tissue sarcoma. He is a prolific researcher who has received federal funding to investigate sarcoma tumor genetics and identify strategies at reducing sarcoma recurrence rates. Additionally, he has served as co-PI or institutional PI on several US and international phase 2 or phase 3 clinical trials evaluating neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapies in various sarcomas.

Dr. Raut is a graduate of Stanford University, University of Oxford, and Harvard Medical School. He completed his general surgery residency at Massachusetts General Hospital and surgical oncology fellowship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Raut currently serves as Chair of the AJCC Soft Tissue Sarcoma Staging Panel (9th edition), Co-Chair of the Surgery Committee in the cancer cooperative group Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and Treasurer on the Executive Board of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society. In 2013, he co-founded the Transatlantic Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group. He is the former Program Director of the Mass General Brigham/Dana-Farber Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program at Harvard Medical School. He serves as Section Editor for sarcoma in the journals Cancer and Surgical Oncology Insights. He has authored over 300 papers and over 30 book chapters.

Dr. Hop Tran Cao is an Associate Professor and Vice-Chair of Clinical Operations in the Department of Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he specializes in the management of hepatobiliary tumors. He is an expert in minimally invasive surgical techniques and chairs the Minimally Invasive and New Technology in Oncologic Surgery governing committee at MD Anderson. He also chairs the multidisciplinary Histotripsy Steering Committee.
Dr. Tran Cao’s research focuses on improving cancer care quality and precision. He completed his General Surgery residency at the University of California San Diego and his fellowship in Complex General Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson.

Dr. Jiping Wang is a surgical oncologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He specializes in treating gastric, liver, and pancreatic cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. He has a special interest in using minimally invasive platforms to perform cancer surgeries. In this video he explains robotic surgery for patients.

Expert Nutrition & Exercise Advice - June 1
2026-06-01 12:00
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Hosted by The Life Raft Group, join us in honor of National Cancer Survivors Month for an empowering and informative webinar, “Expert Nutrition & Exercise Advice for Sarcoma Patients,” taking place on June 1st at 12PM ET.
This special session will feature Dr. Loren Yavelberg, Post-Doctoral Associate, CEP, ACSM-ACS Exercise Oncology Specialist, and Dr. Harleen Kaur, a behavioral scientist with a PhD in Nutrition Sciences, both from the University of Miami.
Together, they will share practical, evidence-based guidance on how to support your body through every stage of the cancer journey. From preparing for surgery to rebuilding strength afterward, the discussion will explore the role of nutrition, physical activity, and overall wellness in cancer care. You’ll learn about different dietary approaches, exercise programs, and what current research says about their impact.
Whether you’re newly diagnosed, in treatment, or navigating survivorship, this webinar will provide tools and insights to help you feel stronger, more informed, and supported. A Q&A session will follow the presentations.
These webinars are for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any treatment or lifestyle changes. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to support@liposarcoma support.org

About Our Presenters:
Dr. Loren Yavelberg is an exercise physiologist with a PhD in Applied Cardiopulmonary Physiology whose research focuses on exercise oncology, lifestyle medicine, and supportive care interventions across the cancer continuum. His work integrates clinical trials, community-based programming, and behavioral strategies to improve treatment tolerance and patient outcomes.

Dr. Harleen Kaur is a behavioral scientist with a PhD in Nutrition Sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she was supported by the T32 Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program at O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is currently supported by the T32 Training to Reduce Burden across the Cancer Control Continuum Multidisciplinary Program at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she is advancing her training in lifestyle medicine and oncology research. Her research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of multibehavior diet and physical activity interventions during active cancer treatment and survivorship. Her work aims to advance precision lifestyle medicine through scalable, digitally supported behavioral strategies, leveraging digital technologies to expand reach and incorporating artificial intelligence to enhance personalization.

Life Fest 2026 - Nashville - July 10-12
2026-07-10 15:00 - 2026-07-12 13:00 | Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, 37203, United States
Every two years, The Life Raft Group (LRG) hosts Life Fest, a unique event that brings patients and caregivers to learn, connect, and stay informed on the latest developments that can impact their treatment journey.
At Life Fest 2026, the event will expand significantly. In addition to other rare disease programming, the Liposarcoma Support Network (LSN) will introduce a dedicated educational track for liposarcoma patients and caregivers.
Liposarcoma participants will have access to sessions led by leading sarcoma experts from top centers of excellence, covering essential topics such as liposarcoma basics, treatment options, trials, lifestyle strategies, and nutrition. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage directly with doctors, participate in Q&A panels, and connect with a supportive community of fellow patients and caregivers.
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Scholarships are available! Please submit your request through this form.
If you would like to donate to the scholarship find, visit this link.
Download Preliminary Agenda Here (subject to change)

Hotel Information – see registration page for all the details.
We have secured a block of hotel rooms for guests attending Life Fest 2026. This special group rate is only available until June 19th, 2026.
Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza
2100 West End Ave,
Nashville, TN 37203
1-877-879-7818
Reserve: www.loewshotels.com/vanderbilt-hotel/group-life-fest-event-2026
Parking for the conference location (Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza):
Self-parking for guests at Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza is $49 + tax per day, per vehicle.
Alternate parking:
Legacy Parking Company, LLC – Hayes Street Garage (4 minute walk to Loews Hotel)
2011 Hayes St, Nashville, TN 37203
1-209-489-7232
For parking details: bit.ly/LF-BookParking

Questions about Life Fest 2026 for liposarcoma?
Please reach out to Tara Ruggiero at truggiero@liposarcomasupport.org
*The Life Raft Group (LRG) oversees four patient-focused programs—gastrointestinal stromal tumor (the LRG), liposarcoma (LSN), and tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT Support) and giant cell tumor (GCT Support)—uniting these rare cancer communities to advance education, support, advocacy, and research.

Walk for Hope Nashville - July 12
2026-07-12 07:30
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If you’re attending Life Fest 2026 Nashville or you live in the Nashville area, join us Sunday morning for a Walk of Hope with the Liposarcoma Support Network community on Sunday, July 12 at 7:00 (registration). Walk starts at 7:30. Walk location will be the Vanderbilt Courtyard across from the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel where the conference is taking place. Join us as we raise awareness and funds for rare disease research & resources!
Please register before June 1st if you can so that we can order enough T-shirts. All shirts can be picked up on the day of the Walk. If you have any questions about the Walk or the t-shirts, please reach out to Tara: truggiero@liposarcomasupport.org
