At 44, Teresa Tiano was already deeply familiar with cancer, having battled stage 0 bladder cancer years earlier and losing both parents to the disease. Her own journey with cancer took an unexpected turn in 2011 when, despite being younger than the typical age to begin colon cancer screenings, she insisted on undergoing both an endoscopy and colonoscopy due to concerns about a potential colon cancer diagnosis.

However, the results of her tests left her reeling. Instead of colon cancer, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer — a stage 2 adenocarcinoma that had developed from an ulcer. Tiano’s emotions were immediately fraught with fear as she googled her diagnosis, finding grim statistics and realizing the challenges that lay ahead.

Stomach cancer is a rare and aggressive disease with a poor prognosis. It is diagnosed in approximately 4,100 Canadians annually, and the five-year survival rate hovers around just 29 percent. Tiano was faced with a life-altering journey that included a drastic nine-hour surgery to remove 80 percent of her stomach. The procedure not only changed the way she interacted with food but also introduced new challenges such as weight loss, malnutrition, and dietary restrictions. Tiano's struggle with “Dumping Syndrome,” a condition where food moves too quickly from the stomach to the small intestine, was a constant concern, making eating out and socializing difficult.

In addition to her cancer diagnosis, Tiano’s family history raised red flags about her genetic risks. Her mother passed away from brain cancer just two years after her father succumbed to colon cancer. Genetic testing revealed that Tiano had Lynch Syndrome, a hereditary condition that increases the risk of several types of cancers, including colorectal, ovarian, and uterine cancers.

Tiano’s diagnosis with Lynch Syndrome led to a difficult decision at 45 to undergo a prophylactic hysterectomy, a procedure that threw her into early menopause and further added to the emotional strain. Despite these challenges, she found strength in helping others by co-founding My Gut Feeling, the Stomach Cancer Foundation of Canada, to provide support to stomach cancer patients and raise awareness about the rare disease.

While undergoing treatment, Tiano also experienced her own periods of anxiety and depression, especially after sharing the news of her Lynch Syndrome diagnosis with family members. She feared for their well-being and struggled with the responsibility of informing them about their genetic risks. However, her commitment to raising awareness about stomach cancer and Lynch Syndrome only grew stronger as she faced her own battles with cancer.

Tiano’s focus now is on providing support to others living with stomach cancer through My Gut Feeling, offering virtual groups for patients, caregivers, and families. Her advocacy extends internationally, where the organization has helped secure funding for cancer research and participated in global conferences. She also continues to raise awareness about the importance of early detection, emphasizing that a timely endoscopy or colonoscopy could make the difference between catching cancer at an early stage and dealing with a more advanced, harder-to-treat condition.

Tiano’s journey remains ongoing. Although she continues to deal with the lingering effects of her surgeries and treatments, including digestive issues and fatigue, she remains grateful for the opportunity to be alive. Her story is a powerful reminder of the importance of early intervention, the need for greater awareness of stomach cancer, and the unbreakable human spirit that persists in the face of adversity.