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Linda Stokes was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2015. Genetic testing then found a germline CDH1 mutation, which also placed her at high hereditary risk for diffuse gastric cancer.
In June 2015, Linda chose bilateral mastectomy rather than the lumpectomy that had originally been anticipated. She struggled to find local clinicians familiar with CDH1 and eventually reached a specialist at MD Anderson through a personal connection.
After more than a year of consideration, she formally decided in November 2016 to have her stomach removed to reduce the inherited gastric-cancer risk. She underwent prophylactic total gastrectomy at MD Anderson on February 21, 2017 as a risk-reducing procedure.
Linda later created a blog about breast cancer and CDH1 to share practical information and support others facing similarly unfamiliar genetic decisions.
This is a lay summary of an account first published by No Stomach For Cancer. Read the original in full
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These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer