HIV positive people have a greater risk of stomach cancer. Read on to know how a 51-year-old HIV positive woman triumphed over her disease.

People who are HIV positive are at an increased risk of some cancers. According to a study conducted in Case Western Reserve University and published in Cancer, an American Cancer Society journal, researchers were of the opinion that this increased risk may be due to the fact that HIV causes premature aging in patients. Of course, they also acknowledged that the risk increases because of other risk factors like smoking as well as exposure to oncogenic viruses. One cancer that HIV positive people have a higher risk of is stomach or gastric cancer. Another study from the American Association for Cancer Research says that in AIDS patients, this risk goes up by almost seven times as compared to people without HIV.

51-Year Old Woman’s Journey To Triumph

In light of the above facts, it is a matter of triumph when an HIV positive patient successfully fights and overcomes a stomach cancer diagnosis. Let us take a look at the journey of a 51 year old stomach cancer patient from Cameroon who was also HIV positive. Mrs Carine Ziba was recently successfully treated by Dr Archit Pandit, Director & Head of Department, Surgical Oncology, Shalby Sanar International Hospitals, Gurugram.

Forging A Treating Plan For Stomach Cancer

The patient’s journey began with persistent abdominal pain and frequent bouts of vomiting. After a series of evaluations, which included whole body PET CT scan to ultrasound endoscopy and biopsies, the doctors arrived at the verdict. It was Carcinoma Stomach with Gastric Outlet Obstruction and Gastric mass. The doctors attending to her were unanimous in their decision that she would have to go in for a Multi-Organ Resection surgery.

The Intricacies Of The Surgery

In the operating theatre, the surgical team encountered a formidable foe a mass entwined with vital organs, namely the liver as well as large and small intestines. The medical team embarked on a Multi-Organ Resection journey, with Distal Gastrectomy, En-bloc Liver Wedge Resection, Mid Transverse Colectomy, and Proximal Jejunal Resection as the milestones of Mrs. Carine’s fight against cancer. There was a significant presence of nodes, which were meticulously dissected.

Post-Operative progress

As the curtains closed on the surgery, the patient’s road to recovery began. Gradually, she was put on a soft diet by the doctor in charge. With stable vitals and unwavering determination, she defied all odds and was discharged from the hospital on the fifth day.

Doctor’s perspective

Reflecting on the gravity of stomach cancer, Dr Panditsaid, “As the fifth most common cancer in males and seventh in females, stomach cancers are challenging to treat and difficult to cure. Typically, at the time of surgery, many times it is found to be inoperable because of local or distant spread in the abdomen.”

On his patient, he commented, ‘She underwent Multi-Organ Resection for Stomach Cancer where a part of the liver, large intestine and part of the small intestine were removed.” The multi-organ resection becomes even more complex, in cases of immunocompromised patients such as Mrs Carine.

The Gift Of Life

In the face of daunting odds, Mrs Carine’s triumph over stomach cancer, intertwined with HIV, speaks volumes about the indomitable human spirit. The unwavering determination of the patient and the surgeon’s skilled hands have given her the gift of life.