Going Under the Knife to Head Off Cancer

Prophylactic Surgery One Option for Those at Risk of Cancer

By RADHA CHITALE
ABC News Medical Unit
March 2, 2009

Abc news

Few wouldn't balk at the idea of prophylactic surgery -- the removal a healthy organ or gland that shows no sign of cancer in order to prevent cancer from developing in that organ or gland.

Brian Chelcun with his father, Greg, in 2007. Brian had a prophylactic operation to remove his stomach two weeks ago, soon after his father died of stomach cancer on February 8th.

(WCVB)

In other words, prophylactic surgery involves cutting from the body a perfectly fine organ.

Or a ticking time bomb.

Or a perfectly fine organ.

And that is the dilemma facing a segment of the population who, due to family history, genetics or personal medical history, are saddled with a higher risk of cancer than the rest of the population and may have to take drastic steps to prevent a disease that kills over half a million Americans each year.

But Brian Chelcun, 26, never wavered for a moment.

"I was seeing my dad go through the effects of having stage IV stomach cancer," said Brian, whose father died Feb. 8 of the disease. Chelcun was released from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston last week after a gastrectomy to remove his stomach.

"Here's a chance to avoid doing something that is a hard and difficult thing to cure," he said. Read more...