Patients undergoing gastrectomy to prevent developing lethal stomach cancer are finding the operation has harmful, long-term consequences that often require additional support beyond typical postoperative checkups.
A gastrectomy is a procedure in which a patient’s entire stomach is removed. The procedure has been touted as a way to save the lives of those who have inherited a cancer-causing gene mutation called CDH1. CDH1 is associated with roughly 40 percent of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer cases, according to the Cleveland Clinic. When caught and treated early, the cancer’s five-year survival rate is over 90 percent. However, once it has invaded the stomach wall, the survival rate drops to less than 30 percent.
