28-Year-Old Mom Says Doctors Dismissed Her Stomach Pains As Acid Reflux. It Turned Out To Be Stage 4 Gastric Cancer

What You Need to Know About Gastric Cancer

Gardiner has decided to speak out about her story to spread awareness and raise funds to assist her in “fighting this and making memories” with her two-year-old son and soon-to-be husband.

Speaking to Kennedy News & Media in a recent interview, according to The Mirror, Gardiner recounted what led to her diagnosis: “My body was just rejecting everything. Then I was experiencing pains in my upper stomach. It was really intense, it was a sharp constant pain.

“I rang the doctors to get an idea about what was going on. They gave me an appointment after four weeks of waiting and gave me some anti-acid reflux medication, then sent me home.”

Gardiner, who received her diagnosis on June 13, explained further, “After the first appointment, we were full of hope that they could just remove it.

“Then when they said it was incurable, I went into a complete shock state.”

She recalled feeling as if her “whole world just crumbled around me” as she was told she had approximately 12 months left to live, adding, “It doesn’t feel real, it’s an out-of-body experience.”

Gardiner clams that she “just wasn’t taken seriously” before her diagnosis as she was continuously given medication for acid reflux or heartburn, which upsets her because she is now battling, “The kind of cancer I’ve got goes from stage one to four in a matter of months.”

However, she remains positive and hopes her story will encourage others not to ignore symptoms, adding, “I feel physically fine. I was fit and healthy.

“I never thought I would have cancer, I’m 28, I thought I was invincible. I’m just going to try and fight this in every way possible.”

Further expressing the hope she’s maintained since the start of her cancer journey, Gardiner, who is engaged and still planning her wedding, wrote on a GoFundMe page, she set up for herself, “I’m young, I’m healthy other than the weight loss and I’m full of fight.

“I start chemo in a couple of weeks which can potentially slow the growth of the cancer down and I might be eligible for a clinical trial we’re just waiting for one more set of results.”

She continued, “People really need to see life for what it is because it’s beautiful and we all spend so much time worrying about things that don’t even matter. Tomorrow is never promised, hold your loved ones closer and just embrace life.

“Just wanted to say thank you to everyone’s lovely messages and stuff I really appreciate it all.”

What Is Gastric/Stomach Cancer?

Gastric cancer, also called stomach cancer, originates in the stomach. The most common type of stomach cancer is adenocarcinoma, which begins in the stomach’s inner lining.

Doctors can use advanced endoscopic techniques — a thin, lighted tube with a tiny camera — that is inserted into the body through the mouth and views the throat, esophagus, stomach, and more. If patients manage to catch stomach cancer early, treatment is much easier to endure.

WATCH: Understanding stomach cancer risk factors

Symptoms for stomach cancer vary depending on how advanced the cancer is. For early-stage stomach cancer, symptoms may include:

• Bloating after eating
• Indigestion and upset stomach
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite

Symptoms for more advanced stomach cancer may include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Stomach pain
• Bloody stool
• Vomiting
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
• Difficulty swallowing

While experiencing any of these symptoms does not always mean stomach cancer, if you find yourself dealing with these issues more frequently, contact your doctor for some follow-up tests.

WATCH: How is stomach cancer staged?

“If a physician is suspecting stomach cancer … one of the first simple tests to do is blood work,” Dr. Sofya Pintova, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Mount Sinai Cancer Center in New York City, tells SurvivorNet.

“In the blood work, we are looking for several specific things. We’re looking at the organ function, such as liver function and kidney function, but we’re also looking at the level of the red blood cells in the blood. So, if the level of red blood cells is low, that is called anemia. And when someone has a new anemia that cannot be explained for other reasons, obvious reasons like a recent bleeding from the nose for example or other type of bleeding, then that warrants an evaluation by a gastroenterologist,” she adds.

Patients may also present with signs or symptoms of distant metastatic (spread) disease. The most common sites of metastatic disease are the liver, the peritoneal surfaces, and the lymph nodes.

Besides blood exams to evaluate anemia, nutritional status, and overall biochemistry, the most important exam is the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

“If a cancer is found in the stomach, the next step for us as oncologists or surgeons would be staging. And what staging means is we ask ourselves: is the tumor, the cancer still confined only to the stomach or has it spread to other organs,” Dr. Pintova explains. “So, several tests that we usually do to identify that are what’s called radiology tests or imaging that could take the form of computerized tomography scans, PET scans, sometimes MRIs.”

Treating Stomach Cancer

Surgery is often the most critical part of the treatment process for gastric cancer, especially in cases where the disease is localized and has not spread extensively beyond the stomach.

The goal of surgery is to remove the cancer, along with part or all of the stomach, depending on how much the cancer has spread. Surgeons aim to ensure that no cancer cells are left behind, which gives patients the best chance at long-term survival.

RELATED: Surgery for Gastric Cancer: What You Need to Know

WATCH: When is chemo given before surgery?

For patients whose cancer is at an earlier stage, surgery can often be curative. Surgery may still be an option even for patients with more advanced cancer.

Systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy, may also be used. Eligibility for these treatment approaches will depend on several factors, such as the stage of the cancer, the patient’s general health, and the results of biomarker testing.

Stomach cancer patients who are eligible for chemotherapy may receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which means chemo before surgery.  This approach aims to shrink the tumor and improve the chances that it can be completely removed during surgery. By targeting the cancer cells beforehand, the treatment may help make surgery more effective and reduce the risk of cancer returning.

RELATED: What are the Treatment Options for Advanced Gastric Cancer?

“We notice that it’s easier for patients to receive chemotherapy before surgery [rather than after]. So some cancer centers around the U.S. try to offer more chemotherapy before surgery,” Dr. Alan Lima Pereira, a medical oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, tells SurvivorNet.

The neoadjuvant chemotherapy may involve getting chemo every other week four to six times before surgery, followed by additional chemotherapy after surgery.

RELATED: How to Deal With the Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy can cause side effects, including fatigue, nausea, and hair loss. However, these side effects can often be managed.

The side effects experienced from these two chemo approaches varied slightly:

• FLOT Regimen: Patients experienced higher rates of certain side effects like low white blood cell counts (which can increase infection risk), diarrhea, infections, and numbness or tingling in hands and feet.
• Standard Therapy (epirubicin, cisplatin, and fluorouracil – ECF): Patients had higher rates of nausea, vomiting, and blood clots.

Staging Gastric/Stomach Cancer

After a cancer diagnosis, the next essential step is determining the stage of the disease. Patients in different stages will present differently, have different treatment paths, and different prognoses. Staging is crucial because it allows for a tailored approach to treatment, ensuring that care is personalized to each patient’s specific needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

This individualized treatment plan can significantly impact outcomes, leading to more effective therapies and improved quality of life.

“If cancer is found in the stomach, the next step for us as oncologists or surgeons … would be staging. What staging means is we ask ourselves is the tumor, the cancer, still confined only to the stomach or has it spread to other organs?” Dr. Sofia Pintova, a Gastrointestinal Medical Oncologist at Mount Sinai in New York City, tells SurvivorNet.

Clinical Staging — What Does TNM Mean?

Ideally, your oncologist should introduce the staging system and its importance early on in your cancer journey so that the results of early testing do not feel confusing or overwhelming to you and your family. Essentially, tests will be done to determine the patient’s TNM stage. Which tests depends on the patient and how their disease is presenting.

“Several tests that we usually do to identify [the disease stage] are what’s called radiology tests or imaging that could take the form of CT scans, PET scans, sometimes MRIs, whichever one is appropriate for an individual situation,” Dr. Pintova explains.

The TNM system, in the context of gastric cancer, stands for:

• T (Tumor): This indicates how deeply the tumor has invaded the layers of the stomach wall. Stages range from T0 to T4, with higher numbers representing deeper infiltration into the stomach layers. When needed, the “T stage” is best assessed with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), which provides detailed images of these layers.
• N (Nodes): This stage reflects whether the cancer has spread to nearby (regional) lymph nodes. It ranges from N0 to N3, where higher values indicate more lymph nodes involved. A CT scan can help identify suspicious lymph nodes, hinting at potential cancer spread.
• M (Metastasis): This indicates whether cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. M0 means no distant metastasis, while M1 means there are metastases. A CT scan is often used to determine this aspect of staging.

After the TNM categories are established, the next step is to determine the clinical TNM stage, usually abbreviated as cTNM. The various possible combinations among these letters (i.e., T1N2M0, T1N1M0, and so on) will be translated into stages ranging from Stage 0 to Stage IVB, providing a clearer overview of the cancer’s extent.

Tailoring Treatment Accordingly

A precise diagnosis and accurate staging are essential before considering any targeted therapy for gastric cancer. Staging is crucial because it reveals how far the cancer has spread, helping doctors choose the most effective treatment. For this reason, staging should be completed as early as possible, as it forms the foundation for a well-informed, personalized treatment plan. Below, explains how treatment can vary according to the tumor’s stage.

Patients With Loco-regional Disease (Stage I to III)

For patients with loco-regional gastric cancer (stages I to III), there is potential for a cure, especially if they are healthy enough for surgery. If the cancer has invaded deeper layers of the stomach (stage T2 or higher) or if there’s a strong indication that nearby lymph nodes are involved, it’s important to consult a multidisciplinary team, or a care team that includes a variety of different specialists.

This team will work together to recommend the best treatment plan, which may involve going directly to surgery or starting with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy to improve the chances of success. This approach ensures that each patient receives the most effective treatment for their specific situation.

“Gastric cancer is a disease that’s commonly treated with chemotherapy. We know that for patients with very early stage disease that we call T1a or potentially T1b, meaning that there’s a small tumor that hasn’t really invaded through the gastric mucosa, the muscle layer, we can cut those out without needing surgery as long as there are no high risk features that we see when we review the surgical specimen of pathology,” Dr. Nicholas Hornstein, a Medical Oncologist at Northwell Cancer Institute in Manhattan, tells SurvivorNet.

Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer

For patients with advanced gastric cancer that cannot be surgically removed or is classified as Stage IV, treatment generally focuses on improving quality of life and managing symptoms. This approach is known as palliative therapy, which is tailored based on each patient’s symptoms and overall health. Research shows that systemic treatments (like chemotherapy) can help extend survival and improve quality of life for these patients.

In some cases, about 5% of gastric cancers, the cancer invades a large portion of the stomach wall, causing it to become rigid and thickened—a condition known as linitis plastica. Unfortunately, linitis plastica has a very poor outlook, and many surgeons consider it a reason not to pursue surgery aimed at curing the disease, even if other factors might allow for surgery. In these situations, the focus remains on treatments that best support the patient’s well-being and comfort.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

If you’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer and are feeling confused about your diagnosis, consider asking your doctor the following questions.

• What stage is my gastric cancer?
• Should I receive chemotherapy before surgery? Why?
• What are the potential side effects of chemotherapy?
• How can I manage the side effects?
• What are the risks and benefits of combining chemotherapy with surgery vs. surgery alone?
• How long will my treatment last?

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---