What happened, in summary

Allen Wang sought medical care in 2008 after noticing an unusual feeling in his stomach. An endoscopy and biopsy showed stomach cancer. A community surgeon recommended removing about two-thirds of his stomach through a large incision, but Allen wanted a second opinion before proceeding.

At Memorial Sloan Kettering, further testing showed Stage I gastric cancer. His surgeon recommended a minimally invasive operation that would remove only about one-third of his stomach. Allen chose this approach and delayed surgery until after his daughter’s wedding. During the operation, 24 nearby lymph nodes were also removed, and all were cancer-free. He went home after 3 days and returned to work 25 days later.

After surgery, chemotherapy and radiation were discussed as possible additional treatment. Allen preferred not to have chemotherapy, and because his lymph nodes were clear, his medical oncologist did not push for additional treatment unless the cancer returned. Allen also changed his diet, reducing salty foods and red meat. At follow-up he described feeling better than ever and grateful for each day.