Gastric Cancer: 66 Real Stories
66 stories match gastric cancer. 46 of them mention surgery.
Stage I Gastric Cancer: Marne’s Patient Story
Marne Shafer was 33 when genetic testing showed that she carried a CDH1 mutation after several relatives, including her father, grandmother and aunt, died from stomach cancer. Because early stomach cancer can be difficult to detect in people with this…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Amanda’s Survivor Story
Amanda knew that a CDH1 gene mutation ran in the family and increased the risk of both hereditary diffuse gastric cancer and breast cancer. Amanda’s mother had breast cancer, while a sister and brother had gastric cancer. After testing positive for the…
Read this storyStage I Gastric Cancer Patient Story
One of two sisters from a family affected by stomach, colorectal, and breast cancer tested positive for a CDH1 mutation in early 2016. The sisters were ages 31 and 34 when they faced the decision together. Their doctors explained that hereditary diffuse…
Read this storyStage I Gastric Cancer Patient Story
The second of two sisters from a family affected by stomach, colorectal, and breast cancer tested positive for a CDH1 mutation in early 2016. The women were ages 31 and 34 when they faced the decision together. Because reliable screening for hereditary…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Ralph’s Survivor Story
At 58, this patient began having repeated episodes of extreme fatigue. A blood test showed very low hemoglobin, and transfusions helped temporarily, but the fatigue kept returning. After several transfusions, further investigation identified stomach cancer as…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer: Rick’s Patient Story
Rick Sabbides was diagnosed on June 25, 2013, with inoperable Stage IV cancer involving both the stomach and colon. A CaringBridge journal was created so Rick’s friends and family could follow his journey, offer support, and share messages of hope and…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Sandra’s Patient Story
Sandra Sankar Poukkula was diagnosed with gastric cancer at age 39. Genetic testing identified a CDH1 mutation inherited from her father. Her brother had previously died from gastric cancer at age 37, giving the diagnosis a strong family context. Sandra…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer Patient Story
A 56-year-old woman was diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer in December 2012. Her 2 daughters, who described themselves as sisters and best friends, began writing about how the diagnosis changed their family. They used journaling and notes to communicate…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Rajen’s Patient Story
Rajen Sankar was one of several relatives in Lorita’s family affected by stomach cancer. He died in 2008 at age 37. At the time, the family did not yet understand that a hereditary gastric-cancer syndrome was present. After additional relatives developed…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Sandra’s Patient Story
Sandra Sankar Poukkula was diagnosed with gastric cancer in 2011. She became proactive about stomach-cancer awareness and research as her family sought answers about a pattern of young gastric-cancer deaths. Sandra underwent total gastrectomy in an effort to…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Adriana’s Patient Story
Adriana Walsh lost her father, Steve, to stomach cancer in 2006 when she was 13. In 2009, genetic testing showed that Adriana carried the same CDH1 mutation associated with her family’s cancer history. An endoscopy in August later found evidence of stomach…
Read this storyGastric Cancer Patient Story
In May 2012, Lorita’s 59-year-old mother was diagnosed with diffuse gastric cancer. The diagnosis came after several close relatives had already died from stomach cancer, including Lorita’s cousins Rajen and Sandra and her maternal aunt. The family had…
Read this storyGastric Cancer Patient Story
Jessica’s mother was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer in the summer of 2004 after an endoscopy for persistent gastrointestinal pain. She underwent surgery that removed two-thirds of her stomach and one-third of her esophagus. Recovery was complicated by…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Gretchen’s Survivor Story
Gretchen Borzi learned in 2009 that she carried a germline CDH1 mutation, placing her at very high risk for hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. After considering the recommendation for preventive surgery, she underwent total gastrectomy in July 2011 at age 40…
Read this storyStage IV Gastric Cancer Patient Story
The narrator’s mother was diagnosed with Stage IV gastric cancer. Two months later, her daughter became pregnant and took on an intensive caregiver and advocacy role while continuing to work. Her mother received chemotherapy and needed help with medications…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Sara’s Patient Story
Sara Souto Strom built her career around understanding why people develop cancer and what influences survival. In 2002, that work became personal when an acid taste in her mouth led her to have an endoscopy. The test revealed early-stage stomach cancer. Sara…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Johanna’s Patient Story
Johanna Chelcun was 26 when she underwent total gastrectomy because hereditary diffuse gastric cancer affected her family. Preoperative screening had not found abnormalities, but pathology after surgery identified 32 cancerous lesions in her stomach. Recovery…
Read this storyGastric Cancer: Laura’s Patient Story
Laura McFetridge Ayala learned at age 22 that she carried a CDH1 mutation linked to hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. Five months later, a biopsy found cancer, which affected the timing of her surgery. She underwent total gastrectomy in August 2011, becoming…
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