After initially experiencing mild symptoms such as intolerance for spicy and acidic foods and abdomen soreness, Keith Johnson, a neurologist at Mass General Brigham, went to see his primary care physician when he noticed that these symptoms had worsened after a few months. He was diagnosed with stomach adenocarcinoma or stomach cancer in March 2021 and was started on a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute under the care of his oncologist Dr. Ben Schlechter.

Most cancers of the stomach (about 90% to 95%) are adenocarcinomas. These cancers develop from the gland cells in the innermost lining of the stomach (the mucosa). The American Cancer Society’s estimates for stomach cancer in the United States for 2023 are about 26,500 new cases of stomach cancer and about 11,130 deaths. Stomach cancer accounts for about 1.5% of all new cancers diagnosed in the US each year and the average age of people when they are diagnosed is 68, as the cancer mostly affects older people.

Dr. Schlechter is a medical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal cancers including colorectal cancer, anal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and neuroendocrine cancers, among others. He is a former intern, resident, chief resident and fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as well as a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School. His work at Dana-Farber
focuses on providing excellent patient care while trying to advance the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer patients. He is leading research involved in next-generation immunotherapy combinations in colorectal cancer as well as using CAR-T treatments in solid tumors.