A CDH1 gene mutation runs in my family. We discovered it because my mom was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Subsequent genetic testing confirmed she inherited from her father a CDH1 gene mutation that is associated with stomach…

Gastrectomy surgery requires a delicate diet in the days following the surgery. Without a stomach, it is more difficult to digest certain foods. Plus, you will need to eat smaller meals. Therefore, to get enough calories, you…

Living without a stomach is not always easy, but it is easier than you may think. Generally, I eat whatever I want. Though I tend to focus on foods that are easy to digest, calorie dense, and…

CDH1 research is a relatively new area in certain respects. In 1999, a medical researcher in New Zealand named Dr. Parry Guilford and his colleagues discovered the connection between CDH1 mutations and cancers of the stomach and…

How do you live without a stomach? People ask me this almost every time I tell them I don’t have a stomach. Frankly, I usually don’t know how to answer this question. That’s because I don’t know…

The CDH1 gene provides the genetic code for producing epithelial cadherin, a protein critical for cell adhesion, tumor suppression, and several other functions.  Epithelial cadherin, also called E-cadherin, is a protein found in epithelial cells. Specifically, e-cadherin…

Can you live without a stomach? Great question. People have been asking it since at least the early 1600s. Despite that being over 400 years ago, I believe it’s safe to say that total gastrectomy is a…

Total gastrectomy surgery can sound like a crazy recommendation. When I first heard that I might need to have my stomach removed, my first thought was “no way.” That’s crazy. Now that I have had one, I…

If you have no stomach, nutrition is compromised, right? Gastrectomy patients often worry about diet and nutrition following removal of a portion of – or the entire stomach – due to cancer or other disease process, as…

Total gastrectomy is a modern development in medicine. From 2005 to 2018, several centers have studies outcomes of this procedure. Below, details of the studies are listed for comparison. At the end, I’ve included a table with…