Foundation for
Applied
Research in
Gastrointestinal
Oncology



The Foundation for Applied Research in Gastrointestinal Oncology (FARGO) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that promotes research, education and patient care in gastrointestinal oncology. FARGO's primary objective is to facilitate the transfer of basic science research into innovations in patient care. The responsibilities of FARGO include financial support, administrative support, and space for continued progress in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.

Donations to FARGO are tax deductible and can be made to:

FARGO
c/o Washington Hospital Center
106 Irving St., NW
Suite 3900
Washington, D.C. 20010

 


FARGO was created in 1993 by Dr. Paul Sugarbaker and the FARGO Board of Directors. Current FARGO staff include:

Paul Sugarbaker, M.D.
Neil Otchin, M.D.
Dal Yoo, M.D.
Joy Midman
Laurie Todd

Renaldo Savady, M.D.
Peter Lipresti, Esq.
Donald Farren, CPA

President
Vice President
Member, Board of Directors
Member, Board of Directors
Member, Board of Directors

Secretary-Treasurer
Legal Counsel
Accountant


A major goal of FARGO is the transfer of basic science research into improvements in patient care. The primary means to accomplish this transfer of information is the publication and presentation of research. FARGO supported in-part 32 publications in 2006. There were 9 exhibits and poster presentations and 12 speaking engagements by persons sponsored by FARGO.

A Message From the President of FARGO

Over the past 37 years our clinical and laboratory research has attempted to combine the two most powerful treatments currently in use in the management of cancer.  Of course, this is a combination of surgery (the queen of battle) and cancer chemotherapy (a tool for micrometastatic disease).  Prior to our work all multidisciplinary efforts to combine surgery and cancer chemotherapy have been sequential; that means that the drug treatments either preceded (neoadjuvant treatment) or followed (adjuvant) the definitive surgical event.  There can be no doubt that this multidisciplinary approach has been of great benefit to cancer patients.  However, we have initiated the original efforts with “concomitant multidisciplinary cancer treatments”; this is in great contrast to the sequential plans used in the past.  Timing is everything!  For the first time in the history of medicine and surgery maximal effects of surgery and cancer chemotherapy have been brought together into the same place at the same time.  In patients with the peritoneal surface component of gastrointestinal cancer, the abdomen and pelvis are the major sites of treatment failure when traditional sequential multidisciplinary strategies are applied.  This is being revised by our efforts. 

How can FARGO take this new concept for cancer treatment and standardize it as a new and greatly improved standard of care?  We have initiated 5 new clinical science projects and a major educational effort.  They are: 

1.  Perioperative and long-term local-regional chemotherapy with 5 drugs for peritoneal mesothelioma. (Clinical study active)

2.   Intraperitoneal hyperthermic and long-term local-regional chemotherapy with gemcitabine for pancreas cancer completely resected. (Active – MHRI-GU# 2009-455)

3.   Randomized controlled study of adjuvant HIPEC plus in colorectal and appendiceal cancer patients at high risk for local-regional treatment failure. (In progress – presented at Uppsala)

4.   Initiation of a standardized 3-drug treatment plan for colorectal and appendiceal peritoneal carcinomatosis.

5.   Initiation of a standardized 4-drug treatment for ovarian cancer and gastric cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis.

6.   Educational effort utilizing a Video Atlas and Textbook of Cytoreductive Surgery and Perioperative Chemotherapy in collaboration with Cine-Med, Danbury, CT.

Our Mission

The Foundation for Applied Research in Gastrointestinal Oncology (FARGO) is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that is intended to promote research, education, and innovations in patient care in gastrointestinal cancer and related malignancies. FARGO's outreach is worldwide. The Foundation's major goal is to implement the transfer of basic science research and clinical research to patient care. The responsibilities of FARGO are to provide financial support, administrative support, and space for continued progress in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer and related malignancies.