Gastric Cancer: Connie's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Connie Campbell had an upper endoscopy after an 8-day hospital stay for a perforated bowel and years of acid reflux. The examination found a cancerous polyp in her stomach, which was removed during the procedure. Pathology could not determine whether cancer remained in the stomach lining. Her local team recommended a total gastrectomy, which would remove the entire stomach and require major changes to eating and recovery. Connie wanted certainty that the cancer was gone while preserving her quality of life. Her family researched another option, endoscopic submucosal dissection, and she traveled 7 hours to Cleveland Clinic for evaluation. Because her disease was considered early-stage, the team agreed that the endoscopic procedure could examine and remove the tissue around the original polyp site without removing the whole stomach. One month later, the procedure was completed through an endoscope passed through her mouth and took about 1 hour. Pathology found no cancer in the removed tissue. Connie returned home the next day, used over-the-counter pain relief for minor discomfort, and allowed about 8 weeks for the stomach lining to heal. Two surveillance endoscopies later confirmed that the cancer was gone. Her stomach cancer treatment was finished, with routine follow-up continuing near home.