Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) recently received the Congressional Steward of the Dream Award for his leadership and outstanding commitment to stomach cancer research.

“I cannot thank you enough for your years of advocacy for stomach cancer research,” said Melani Vincelli, the New Jersey South Chapter leader of the nationwide Debbie’s Dream Foundation, which presented the award to Smith on Feb. 26 at a Capitol Hill event.

Melani Vincelli (right) a resident of the Fourth Congressional District and Debbie’s Dream Foundation Board Secretary and the Chapter Leader for the N.J South Chapter, and Andrea Eidelman (left), Exec. Director, welcome Smith to their Feb. 26 event.

“Your continued support makes it possible to have more stories like mine,” she said.  As a 16-year stomach cancer surv
ivor, Melani, a Brick, NJ resident, has beat the odds and now serves as a vocal advocate and mentor for patients and their families.

In receiving the award, Smith credited the organization for its hard work and commitment to advancing stomach cancer research.

“I want to thank you for your tireless efforts to secure critical research to help combat this unforgiving and swift-moving cancer,” he said to the more than 150 members of the Debbie’s Dream Foundation who were on Capitol Hill knocking on doors and sharing critical information about the disease with Congressional members and staff.

“The fourth most common cancer in men and seventh among women, stomach cancer, remains a historically under-researched cancer,” Smith said.  “We can and must do more to identify and understand risk factors and address the noted uptick in diagnosis among young people.

“I look forward to continuing our partnership and working to save more lives,” said Smith, known for his work on health care issues.

The Debbie’s Dream Foundation was established by Debbie Zelman in 2009 after she was diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer. For more than a decade, the national organization has led advocacy, support and education efforts in Washington, helping patients and family members suddenly dealing with stomach cancer.

Stomach cancer is considered a recalcitrant cancer, with an overall five-year survival rate of just 36 percent. In 2025, an estimated 30,300 Americans will be diagnosed with stomach cancer and 10,780 will die from the disease. These heartbreaking survival statistics are largely attributed to the fact that this cancer is often detected in advanced stages of the disease.

As the former chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Smith has noted the prevalence of stomach cancer among veterans and active duty servicemembers. Research shows that approximately one-fourth of the US veteran population may be at risk of developing some form of chronic infection from Heliobacter pylori (H. pylori), and that the vast majority of stomach cancers are caused by H. pylori.

Smith, whose father was a combat veteran and passed from stomach cancer, has continuously fought to maintain stomach cancer as a disease eligible for research under the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) at the Department of Defense and provide continued funding for the program. This research seeks to understand the risk factors that contribute to stomach cancer and discover more ways to prevent the development of premalignant tumors into malignant tumors.

“I am committed to working with you all to ensure that PRCRP receives continued federal support for its work to better understand, test for, and treat stomach cancer,” Smith added.

The latest version of this release may be viewed at:

https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413545

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