Survivors' Stories

Keith Stuessi

In 2013 Keith was diagnosed with Stage IV Esophageal Cancer with 19 metastases to his abdomen, lungs and cervical spine. His oncologist gave him one year to live and told him to get his affairs in order. However, after six weeks of chemotherapy Keith went back for a repeat scan and was given incredible news – the scan was essentially normal. At that point Keith had lost so much weight and almost all his muscle mass. He had to spend 10 weeks in the hospital, but was eventually able to start rehab. With a lot of motivation and hard work he began walking with a walker and several months after leaving the hospital he could walk on his own. A total of eight months of chemotherapy took a major toll on Keith, but over the past two years he has slowly regained his strength. He applied for and was selected for the Tri-City Wellness Center Lucky 13 program. The program chooses 13 applicants each year who are overcoming health obstacles and helps them achieve their fitness goals and complete the Carlsbad Half Marathon. Keith has been the emotional leader for this year’s Lucky 13 team. He is never ashamed to express his emotions and overflows with gratitude and grace. It takes a special person to not only fight for his life, but to also fight to help others achieve their goals. Keith’s view of the world is that we are all in this together and we can only make the world a better place by lifting each other up.

Keith completed the 2017 Carlsbad Half Marathon.

Visit ECAware's site to read stories and connect with esophageal cancer survivors.

Join the American Cancer Society's Cancer Survivor Network to tell your story.

After surviving cancer, staying healthy and active is important.

Check out the Survivorship: During and After Treatment from Cancer.org to learn more.

Personal Survivor Stories

“I was diagnosed in December 1999 with a stage III, 5CM adenocarcinoma of the GE junction where my stomach and my esophagus meet better known as Esophageal Cancer. I went through chemo, 24 hours a day for 5 days a week for 6 straight weeks and radiation 28 treatments during the same period as the chemo. Rested 2 months and then Dr. Bains at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center did an esophagectomy surgery where they took out 2/3rd of my esophagus and 1/3rd of my stomach.

I wanted to give something back, so I became part of the Patient to Patient Program at MSKCC. In this program patients who have been through a cancer come back and walk the journey with patients who are just hearing they have the same cancer. My wife Ginny and I created the Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation (ECEF) www.fightec.org in 2003 to provide a vehicle to raise money for research, expand the Patient to Patient service to other hospitals and to bring awareness of this disease to the greater community.

Since we established ECEF, we have given over $450,000 for research projects and we just passed speaking to over 1,100 patients since I became involved in the patient to patient services.

We have created an awareness video that we ask everyone to send to their email list so more people will know about this deadly disease and take action if they have some of the symptoms of this disease.

Thank you for your help.

Bart Frazzitta