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How INSPIRE program helped the Myers Family – City of Hope

City of Hope/LinkedIn

Nov 30, 2024, 01:07

How INSPIRE program helped the Myers Family – City of Hope

City of Hope shared a post on LinkedIn:

“When City of Hope patient Greg Myers was diagnosed with stomach cancer at 49, a journey began that would ultimately involve his entire family. Genetic testing through City of Hope’s INSPIRE (“Implementing Next-generation Sequencing for Precision Intervention and Risk Evaluation”) program revealed Greg carried the CDH1 gene mutation, putting him at extremely high risk for hereditary diffuse gastric cancer — and a 50% chance his children, Kori and Tyler, might also carry the mutation.

Their story is one of strength, precision medicine genetic testing and decisive, lifesaving action.

Greg, a software engineer for the Air Force, and his wife Kristie, a project manager for Northrup Grumman, have always valued service and perseverance. With deep military roots, the family is no stranger to facing challenges head-on. Their children, Kori, a former Air Force loadmaster, and Tyler, a graduate of the Air Force Academy, embodied that same courage when genetic testing revealed they too carried the CDH1 mutation.

The choice they faced was monumental: monitor for symptoms or undergo prophylactic surgery to remove their stomachs and eliminate the risk. Under the expert care of Amartej Merla, M.D., and world-class stomach cancer surgeon Yanghee Woo, M.D., Greg, Kori and Tyler all underwent gastrectomy surgeries. However, Tyler’s surgery revealed a small number of Stage 1 cancer cells. Without City of Hope’s precision medicine genetic screening, Tyler’s Stage 1 cancer may have not been detected and curable.

This Thanksgiving marks a milestone: the first since their surgeries where the family can celebrate fully healed and adjusted to their new way of life. Smaller portions and leftovers that last a week may not look like a traditional Thanksgiving, but the Myers family is embracing it with gratitude and joy — thankful for their health, their loved ones and the incredible team at City of Hope who empowered them with genetic knowledge and made all this possible.

Click here to read more of the Myers’ inspiring story.”