In a small town in New Hampshire, Maura Gunning, a dedicated school nurse with 27 years of experience, found herself facing a life-altering diagnosis. After a spring break trip with her family, Maura started experiencing persistent abdominal pain and a general feeling of being unwell. Initially attributing her symptoms to hormonal changes associated with menopause, she sought medical attention when her condition failed to improve. At her local hospital, she underwent ultrasound and blood tests that revealed a tumor in her duodenum (the first part of the small intestine) leading to a diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). GISTs are rare tumors that primarily develop in individuals over 50 years old, affecting organs such as the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and colon. GISTs of the duodenum are uncommon and can be difficult to diagnose and manage.
At a different hospital in Boston, Maura underwent an unsuccessful surgery that left two centimeters of the tumor still attached. That is when she decided to seek a second opinion at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center. There, she found hope and expert guidance from Jiping Wang, MD, an oncology surgeon specializing in minimally invasive techniques. Dr. Wang had developed a new surgical approach called Robotic Assisted Pancreas Sparing Duodenectomy (RAPiD), specifically tailored for tumors located in challenging locations such as the duodenum. This high-precision robotic surgery provided Maura with a less invasive alternative to the complex and invasive Whipple surgery, which would have removed parts of her pancreas and small intestine.
When Maura woke up from surgery, she shed happy tears. “Going into surgery with Dr. Wang, I didn’t know how groundbreaking it was this technique he was about to perform on me,” Maura said. “I was so worried that I would end up getting the Whipple.” She said one of her biggest fears was how the more invasive surgery was going to affect her quality of life and diet if the surgeon removed parts of some important organs.
Dr. Wang’s surgery was a success, and he was able to remove the entire tumor. “Maura started a three-year target therapy in pill form to prevent the tumor from coming back,” Dr. Wang said. “This is merely because the first surgery that she received was an incomplete surgery, otherwise, she wouldn’t have needed the target therapy.”
Today, Maura continues her journey to recovery. “I feel great, and I feel blessed that Dr. Wang was dropped into my world,” she said. “I am part of a social media group of people with GISTs, and they are all hopeful that this type of surgery will become more widely available.”
Maura remains committed to regular check-ups with her oncologist every five months and embraces an active lifestyle that includes long walks with her dog, hiking, skiing, and taking care of her three young adult children.
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