Stomach cancer is a disease that doesn't have obvious symptoms, Gerry Serino said.

"People dismiss symptoms like indigestion or getting full after three bites," she said. Sometimes, stomach cancer is misdiagnosed as an ulcer, she said.

But Serino said it's a particularly insidious cancer.

"By the time it's diagnosed, it's usually in the third or fourth stage," she said. "That's critical, and it usually can't be healed at that point."

It was that fatal combination, she said, that prompted Pamela Thielavanh to found the Hugs Foundation Stomach Cancer Awareness Program.

Serino, who's the program's executive vice president for public relations, said Thielavanh started the group because her brother is dying of stomach cancer, diagnosed at age 25.

The program was launched in November, Serino said. Hugs originally was an acronym for Healing Under Guidance and Spirituality, which Serino said Thielavanh elected to drop in favor of a name that more clearly states the group's mission.

"We want to take (the campaign) to a national level, to let people know what they need to do and how they need to understand stomach cancer awareness," Serino said. "We're trying to have educational seminars; we're just starting to do this. We want to go to different areas throughout the United States where the cancer is prevalent and have conferences for families."

Serino said stomach cancer hits several ethnic groups particularly hard. First, she said, are Asians and Pacific Islanders, with people who are ethnically Chinese most vulnerable, followed by Japanese people. Blacks are next, she said, followed by Hispanics.

But whites can be at high risk, too, she said. She cited the case of one family featured on a national television show last April who, because of a quirk of genetics, was particularly susceptible. Of the 25 members of the family, she said, 11 hadn't been diagnosed, and all of them had opted to have their stomachs removed to reduce their risk.

Serino said stomach cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and has been on the increase in the United States since 1980, mainly because of the growth of the affected ethnic groups.

Why those groups are hardest-hit, she said, is a mystery, although it might simply be due to proportional increases in the groups in terms of the American population.

"They think there are factors involved -- soy sauce, because of the fermentation," she said. "Smoking. Red meats; a lot of meats.

"These are just theories, because we need more clinical trials."

Serino said stomach cancer also can be caused by a particular virus, Helicobacter pylori or h pylori.

To support its goal of raising awareness, the Hugs Foundation raises funds through grants, corporate donations, private donations and fundraisers, such as a recent gala at Caesars Palace.

She said the organization is working on setting up a volunteer program and also plans community events.

"We want to get the community involved," Serino said.

To obtain more information on the Hugs Foundation Stomach Cancer Awareness Program, call Serino at 340-8804.