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Drs. Vadim Gushchin and Armando Sardi of the Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy

Annual "Heat It To Beat It" Walk To Raise Funds For Cancer Research To Be Held Sunday, Sept. 18th At Rash Field

The 2nd annual “Heat it to Beat It” Walk will be held on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at Rash Field in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Registration at 9 a.m. and walk begins at 10 a.m., a 2.8 mile stroll along the Inner Harbor Promenade. Cost is $30 to participate; children ages 12 and under walk free. A free t-shirt will be presented to each registered participant.

Register to walk individually, or create your own team. Support of “Heat It To Beat It” will help raise awareness and much needed funds for research into the causes and treatment of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis. Individuals and teams raising the most money will receive special recognition and thanks at the event. To register, go to www.heat-it.org.

The name of the walk, "Heat It to Beat It," comes from the use of HIPEC or hyperthermic (heated) intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the treatment of abdominal cancers. Mercy Medical Center surgical oncologist Dr. Armando Sardi, Director, Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy, is a nationally recognized leader in this form of cancer treatment; Dr.Sardi serves on the “Heat it to Beat It” steering committee.

"Peritoneal Carcinomatosis is a common and complex presentation of a variety of cancers of the abdominal cavity. The cause of this cancer may original from tumors of the appendix, colon, rectum, ovary, stomach, small bowel and from primary peritoneal tumors and mesothelioma. The majority of patients will die as a consequence of this disease," Dr. Sardi said.

Dr. Sardi and Dr. Vadim Gushchin, director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Mercy, are specialists in the treatment protocol for patients with this disease, using HIPEC. For many patients HIPEC offers the only chance for long-term survival. Although there have been many scientific reports showing the benefits of this treatment, there is a lack of awareness about the disease and patients often struggle to be correctly diagnosed and treated.

Proceeds from the "Heat It to Beat It" walk will support research conducted by Dr. Sardi and his colleagues at Mercy, whose work helps provide scientifically proven treatments for patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis world-wide.

Last year’s event raised nearly $100,000 and was attended by 562 people. To register, form a team, or to find out more details, visit www.heat-it.org.