It is being reported that two sisters of Indian origin in the UK with a rare hereditary condition have had their stomachs removed to cut the risk of cancer.
Meeta and Ravindra Singh were born with a mutant E-cadherin gene, giving them an 80 per cent chance of developing cancer.The gene has claimed the lives of the sisters' father, Baldave, two uncles, their grandmother and their 20-year-old cousin.
Ravindra, 29, a recruitment consultant, opted to have her stomach removed as a precautionary measure in June this year after being diagnosed with the defective gene.
Meeta, 25, who lives with her mother in Birkenhead and is studying for a master's degree in forensic psychology, underwent the same procedure.
The stomach is not essential for digestion, but the sisters cannot eat more than ten spoonfuls at a time and are expected to lose 20 per cent of their weight.
The sisters say that it is a small price to pay for freedom from cancer.
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"At that time I was more focused on my sister but then as soon as she was OK it dawned on me that I could be next.
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Ravindra said: "I'm coping a lot better than I was at first but I still have off days and my energy levels are quite low sometimes.
"It's just become a new kind of normal for me. The operation was definitely the right thing to do."
Source-ANI
RAS