Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer: 28 Real Stories
28 stories match gastric cancer and chemotherapy. 20 of them mention surgery.
Gastric Cancer: Christopher’s Survivor Story
Christopher Lynch was 51 when a headache, vomiting, difficulty eating, and balance problems led him to seek care in early 2016. An endoscopic procedure found stomach cancer, and an MRI then showed a large, deep tumor in his left cerebellum. The brain tumor…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Derek’s Survivor Story
Derek Cooney, an emergency physician, was 48 when difficulty eating and drinking led to testing and a diagnosis of diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma. A laparoscopy showed that the cancer had spread to his peritoneum, making it Stage IV. Derek began with 8 rounds…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer: Mark’s Patient Story
Mark Scragg knew cancer risk ran in his family after he and several relatives learned they had Lynch syndrome. In May 2021, persistent fatigue and stomach pain led him to move up his yearly endoscopy and colonoscopy. Doctors found a stomach tumor, and…
Read this storyStage II Gastric Cancer: Irasema’s Survivor Story
Irasema Partida Chavez was 34 when months of heartburn, indigestion, nausea, fatigue, and weight loss eventually led to an endoscopy in 2015. Biopsies showed stomach cancer. She underwent a partial gastrectomy that removed 80% of her stomach, and surgery…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Angel’s Survivor Story
Angel had months of heartburn, reflux, bloating and feeling full quickly before seeking medical care. Over-the-counter medicines had seemed enough at first, but further evaluation in December 2023 led to a diagnosis of Stage IV stomach cancer, specifically…
Read this storyStage II Gastric Cancer: Sagan’s Patient Story
Sagan was evaluated after digestive symptoms led to blood testing and an endoscopy, where doctors found a stomach mass. MRI was also used to assess whether the cancer had spread. The eventual diagnosis was Stage II stomach cancer. Sagan already lived with a…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Alan’s Patient Story
Alan Salm, known as Al, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in spring 2019. He received chemotherapy every 2 weeks for 2 years while continuing to travel and make memories with his wife and teenage son. Surgeons later attempted to remove his stomach, but the…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Daniel’s Patient Story
Daniel ‘Joe’ Einspahr noticed a persistent sensation of hunger in 2018 that did not improve after eating. An endoscopy showed stomach cancer, interrupting a multi-year cross-country bicycle trip he had been completing with his son. Joe received 3 rounds of…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Doran’s Patient Story
Doran Barro was a healthy, active 75-year-old woman living in Arizona when she began feeling acid reflux, early fullness after only a few bites, nausea, and a tightening sensation in her stomach in March 2014. After repeated testing, she was diagnosed on May…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Sundar’s Survivor Story
Sundar Matpadi was diagnosed with stomach cancer in August 2012 at age 46. Sundar underwent total gastrectomy the following month, followed by 92 days of oral chemotherapy and 30 days of radiation. Treatment ended in May 2013. The treatment and recovery…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer: Ernie’s Patient Story
Ernie Pierce was 62 when an operation expected to remove his gallbladder instead revealed Stage IV gastric cancer on March 31, 2008. He had spent almost a year seeking answers for early fullness, worsening discomfort, pain, and significant weight loss, but…
Read this storyGastric Adenocarcinoma: Alan’s Patient Story
Alan Gorman was diagnosed with signet cell adenocarcinoma of the stomach in March 2014 at age 50. Symptoms had begun about 7 months earlier with chest pain. Initial X-rays and blood tests appeared normal, and acid-reflux treatment was started. As the symptoms…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer: Buddy’s Patient Story
Shortly after turning 72, Buddy began having serious difficulty eating and increasing fatigue. In July, he was diagnosed with cancer at the gastroesophageal junction, where the stomach and esophagus meet. The disease was Stage IV and had spread to an adrenal…
Read this storyGastric Cancer Patient Story
Mr. Knight was diagnosed with stomach cancer on May 21, 2014, at age 62. One week later, on May 28, he underwent surgery to remove his stomach. He began chemotherapy and radiation on August 13 and completed 5 weeks of combined treatment. The course was…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer: Karen’s Patient Story
Karen Lucas began having difficulty eating and losing weight while recovering from shingles in 2012. When the problems worsened, her family encouraged her to have an endoscopy. A mass was found at the gastroesophageal junction, and she was diagnosed with…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Rosie’s Patient Story
Rosie Rosanna Fiorino was 35 in 2004 when worsening digestive symptoms and inability to eat led to gastroscopy. The examination found a large mass, and she was hospitalized in July. She underwent total gastrectomy and later learned that the diagnosis was…
Read this storyStage IV HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer: Bryan’s Patient Story
Bryan Chagolla was 38 when worsening abdominal pain, loss of appetite, heartburn, and nearly 40 pounds of weight loss led him to the emergency room in 2019. A biopsy confirmed Stage IV gastric, or stomach, cancer. The cancer was HER2-positive and had spread…
Read this storyStage II Gastric Cancer: Andy’s Patient Story
Andy had a family history of stomach cancer in a grandfather and uncle. A family doctor recommended genetic testing and an endoscopy, and the evaluation led to a diagnosis of Stage II gastric cancer. The diagnosis brought sadness, grief, and a sense of…
Read this storyStage II Gastric Cancer: Mawar’s Patient Story
Mawar sought medical help after persistent fatigue, heartburn and pain around the stomach or breastbone. The evaluation led to a diagnosis of Stage II stomach cancer. Following the doctor's recommendation, Mawar underwent a partial gastrectomy and also…
Read this storyStage II Gastric Cancer: Miguel’s Patient Story
Miguel, from the United States, saw a doctor after repeated digestive problems, a persistent stomach ache and unexplained weight loss. An endoscopy found an ulcer, and the evaluation led to a diagnosis of Stage II stomach cancer. Treatment started with…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer: Faye’s Patient Story
Faye Hood was 70 and training for a half-marathon in 2017 when she was diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer. She had noticed bloating and bowel changes but initially thought they were part of getting older. After deciding to seek care at MD Anderson, an…
Read this storyStage III Gastric Cancer: Abdul’s Patient Story
Abdul had experienced stomach pain for years and often attributed it to fatigue from work. One day the pain became so severe that Abdul could barely stand, and a hospital visit led to a diagnosis of Stage III gastric cancer. The diagnosis brought fear…
Read this storyStage I Gastric Adenocarcinoma: Kaisu’s Survivor Story
Kaisu, a retired nurse in the United States, had experienced mild difficulty swallowing years before the cancer diagnosis. An earlier endoscopy had shown intestinal metaplasia and follow-up was advised. When another endoscopy was eventually performed, a…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Do’s Survivor Story
At age 78, Do Lee faced stomach cancer after already losing his wife of almost 40 years to the same disease. Her cancer had been Stage IV, and watching her treatment initially made Do reluctant to undergo similar care himself. Persistent severe diarrhea…
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