The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers

02/25/2026

Members of Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center gathered together to cheer on Georgetown Basketball this evening! .

02/18/2026

Fiber isn’t about restriction, it’s about feeding the right ecosystem 🌱 Robynne Chutkan, MD breaks down why unprocessed plant fiber fuels gut microbes, drives short-chain fatty acid production, and helps keep the immune system in balance. No shortcuts, no supplements, it starts with what we eat.

Watch the full episode with Dr. John Marsall to go deeper into the gut–microbiome connection and patient care: bit.ly/3O3BnnJh

Dr John Marshall continues his exploration of why so many young adults are developing colore**al cancer.

02/13/2026

The Ruesch Center's Dr. Marion Hartley discusses the recent American Cancer Society data and explains why the growing, unequal burden of gastrointestinal cancers is a call to action to expand funding for research, especially for early-onset disease. With collective resolve, we can lessen the burden of GI cancers and shape a brighter future.

Learn more: https://ruesch.georgetown.edu/announcements/the-growing-and-unequal-burden-of-gastrointestinal-cancers/

Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

Marion Hartley, PhD. The American Cancer Society recently published cancer statistics (Siegel RL,  Kratzer TB,  Wagle NS,  Sung H,  Jemal A.  Cancer statistics, 2026. CA Cancer J Clin.  2026;e70043. doi:10.3322/caac.70043), indicating that GI cancers maintain their status as the leading contri...

02/12/2026

'No one knows what's causing the rise in cases in younger adults. But Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center's John L. Marshall said many young patients lack common risk factors. He wonders if changes in' young people´s gut bacteria - the microbiome - might play a role.

Also, where cancer occurs along the question mark-shaped colon - it starts on one side of the abdomen and swoops to the other before ending with the re**um - influences how aggressive it is and how it´s treated. Marshall said there´s a marked difference in where younger and older people´s tumors tend to strike, another clue being explored.'

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Colore**al Cancer Alliance

WASHINGTON (AP) - Colore**al cancer is a threat not just to older adults but increasingly to young men and women, too. It´s now the top cancer killer of...

02/12/2026

The deaths of “Dawson’s Creek” actor James Van Der Beek at 48 this week, and a few years ago “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman at 43, highlight the risk for younger adults.

“We’re now starting to see more and more people in the 20-, 30- and 40-year-old range developing colon cancer. At the beginning of my career, nobody that age had colore**al cancer,” said Dr. John Marshall of Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, who has been a cancer doctor for more than three decades.

That trend “is shaking us all, to be blunt,” said Marshall, who is also medical consultant to the Colore**al Cancer Alliance.

AP:

The death of “Dawson’s Creek” actor James Van Der Beek highlights a rising trend in colore**al cancer among young adults.

02/11/2026

James Van Der Beek was someone so many of us grew up watching, but beyond the screen, he was a husband, a father of six, and a man who chose to face colore**al cancer with honesty and courage.

By sharing his diagnosis publicly, James helped shine a light on a disease that is too often overlooked, especially among younger adults. His openness gave other families permission to talk about the hard things, to ask questions, and to seek screening.

Our hearts are with his wife, his children, and everyone who loved him. We stand with them and with every family navigating colore**al cancer right now.

In James’ memory, learn your risk, talk to your doctor about screening starting at 45 (or earlier if you’re at higher risk), and support research through Project Cure CRC at colore**alcancer.org/cureCRC.

We honor his life, his legacy, and the love he leaves behind.

Photo Courtesy of Super Festivals.

02/10/2026

Celebrating Over 50 Years of Changing Lives In 1970, Georgetown University Medical Center authorized the establishment of a cancer center named in honor of Vincent T. Lombardi, former coach of the Green Bay Packers and Washington’s NFL team, who was treated for cancer at Georgetown University Hos...

02/09/2026

In the latest publication search, Benjamin Weinberg, MD, highlighted research by Yukihide Kanemitsu, Yasuhiro Shimizu, Junki Mizusawa, Haruhiko Fukuda, the JCOG Colore**al Cancer Study Group, and others, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Learn more:

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02/09/2026

Recent reporting has highlighted re**al cancer as an underlying cause in the death of beloved actress Catherine O’Hara. These details are an important reminder of how serious re**al cancer can be, and how often it goes undetected until it’s advanced.

Through Project Cure CRC, the Alliance is mobilizing a national effort to accelerate innovative treatments and care, improve outcomes, and ultimately end colore**al cancer. We honor Catherine O’Hara’s legacy by turning this moment into action.

Learn more and join the effort: https://bit.ly/ProjectCureCRC

02/05/2026

Today, we observe World Cancer Day by focusing on personalized GI cancer care, research, and community education. We are excited to align our efforts with global initiatives to raise awareness and support patients. We look forward to expanding research collaborations worldwide.

02/04/2026

Today is World Cancer Day. Learn more about our partnership with Hope Connections For Cancer Support and the free, professionally led programs that address the emotional, physical, and social impact of cancer, which they offer the community.

02/04/2026

Congress has completed their work on FY26 spending bills and we’re so excited to share that because of you and your fellow PanCAN advocates, increases for research were included. This is a major win! 👏

When negotiations for this fiscal year began, proposals included cuts to pancreatic cancer research — you refused to stay silent. You emailed, called, shared your stories and showed up again and again to make it clear that patients and families cannot afford to lose momentum.

Thank you for capturing Congress’ attention and making them understand that new discoveries are on the horizon — they just need funding.

Lawmakers ultimately rejected proposed cuts and prioritized patients, passing full-year spending bills that include meaningful increases for cancer research, with $47.2 billion allocated for the National Institutes of Health and $7.352 billion allocated for the National Cancer Institute.

Also included was the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act. This legislation allows the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to create a pathway for coverage for multi-cancer tests upon FDA-approval — early detection tests designed to screen for multiple cancer types including pancreatic cancer.

And the power of PanCAN advocates is on full display as Congress reinstated the dedicated Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) – previously eliminated – with $20 million in funding! This is the first increase for PCARP since FY21 and the most funding the program has ever received.

Progress is powered by passionate people like you. Thank you for changing the story of pancreatic cancer for patients and families. 💜

For more, visit 🔗 http://pcan.at/advocacy.