I recently read in the paper that eleven cousins had their stomachs removed in an attempt to outsmart the cancer that had claimed the lives of some of their parents, aunts, uncles and grandmother.
Growing up they watched as a rare form of heredity stomach cancer claimed their lives. determined to save their lives they turned to genetic testing. They learned that they had inherited their grandmothers flawed gene.
Their only option, risk the odds that they might not develop cancer,and with a 70% chance that they would:or have their stomachs removed.
The latter means facing a life of eating very little, very often. All of the cousins chose the operation. Doctors say they are the largest family to have preventive surgery to protect themselves from heredity stomach cancer.
During the surgeries, doctors removed the entire stomach and surrounding lymph nodes and attached the bottom of the esophagus to the intestines to create a pouch. remember that if you don't have a stomach, patients lose a lot of weight, must eat smaller meals more often.
Insurance paid for part or all of the procedure which cost between $65,000 to $85,000. Six of the surgeries were performed at Stanford, the stomachs looked normal before surgery, but a tissue study done after surgery revealed early tumor growth.
The form of stomach cancer that runs in this family is called heredity diffuse gastric cancer, a very rare form with only 100 families diagnosed worldwide.
All eleven family member are well.
