A CDH1 mutation. That’s what makes me special. Unlike most other 33-year-olds, I have been diagnosed with two different types of cancer in less than two years. These cancers don’t recognize economic status, lifestyle, or other health…

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…

CDH1 mutation carriers need a large support team. Finding out that you have a CDH1 mutation is scary and complicaled news. For CDH1 carriers who find out because they have stomach cancer or breast cancer, the news…

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…

Eating without a stomach can present challenges. Due to changes in the body’s ability to absorb nutrients after surgery, this is especially true when it comes to making sure you have an adequate intake of certain vitamins…

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…

Prophylactic total gastrectomy. After deciding whether to have one, you will need to decide when to have it. For many medical conditions, a sense of urgency for surgery exists because of existing symptoms. In those instances, the…

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…