Cornerstone Medical Services recently hosted the first stomach cancer summit in Washington state’s history, business officials said.

Approximately 100 health, human service and community leaders gathered at the Clarion Hotel in Federal Way to hear Dr. Joo Ha Hwang (chief of gastroenterology at Harborview Medical Center) explain how to detect stomach cancer and the health disparities surrounding screening, treatment and mortality rate of stomach cancer.

Suzanne Pak of Cornerstone Medical Services discussed how California and Texas are raising awareness around stomach cancer through their Cancer Facts and Figures reports, and possible reasons why someone is three times more likely to die from stomach cancer in the United States than in some other countries.

Dr. Vicky Taylor of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center provided best practices from a successful liver cancer prevention program launched 15 years ago. The participants shared their insights on what cancer messages, programs  and facts were the most compelling and memorable — and what Cornerstone Medical Services can do over the next five years to launch a successful stomach cancer prevention program.

Pak will apply for continued funding from Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute to design a research project allowing the community partners to conduct education and outreach around stomach cancer prevention, said Cornerstone officials.