Hallmark star Brennan Elliott shared that his wife, Camilla Row, died this week after a yearslong battle with gastric cancer, also known as stomach cancer.

 

“There is no easy way to say this but I know my wife @camilla_row would have wanted me to thank every person from all over the world who prayed for her over the last 8 years she suffered immeasurably trying to survive and live with #stage4gastriccancer,” Elliott wrote via Instagram. “It is with a soul crushing devastated heart that my beloved wife #cami passed away at 5:28 this morning.”

 

 

In the United States, stomach cancer accounts for about 1.5% of new cancer diagnoses annually, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). About 30,300 people will be diagnosed with stomach cancer in the United States this year, and almost 10,800 people will die of the disease.

 

Symptoms that might indicate stomach cancer include: 

 

  • Heartburn or indigestion
  • Abdominal pain or bloating
  • Loss of appetite
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Feeling full after a small meal
  • Anemia and fatigue.

 

For two years, starting in 2015, Row experienced extremely painful and consistent heartburn. Various gastroenterologists she met with advised her to take heartburn medicine and alter her diet Row shared on her YouTube channel last year. Likely due to her age, doctors did not suspect stomach cancer and thus did not refer her for an endoscopy.

 

But, finally, a 2018 endoscopy confirmed that Row had Stage I gastric adenocarcinoma, a common type of stomach cancer.

 

Shocked because she led a healthy lifestyle and had no family history of stomach cancer, Row, who was Asian American, learned that Asians are at especially high risk for stomach cancer.

 

While overall, Asian men and women have a lower cancer incidence and mortality compared with the general population, they have the highest rates of stomach cancer, about twice that of white people; indeed, among certain populations, including Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese people, rates are up to three to five times higher, according to Rutgers Cancer Institute.

 

After having her entire stomach and nearly 50 lymph nodes removed, Row underwent chemotherapy and surgery.

 

Row, Elliott and their children—Liam, 12, and Luna, 10—enjoyed a “relatively quiet three years,” until Row was diagnosed with a Stage IV recurrence after scans revealed tumors on her ovaries, she told Hope For Stomach Cancer.

 

Then, she felt a duty to become an advocate for others living with stomach cancer, especially those with late-stage cancer.

In an Orange Coast Magazine article published in January 2024, Row said: “What’s helped me cope is giving back to the stomach cancer community—leading support groups. Letting people know that you have to speak up for yourself and empower yourself with information. To know that I’m making some sort of difference makes the cancer part suck a little less.”

 

“What you did for the #gastriccancer community was immeasurable, but what you did for me as a man will last forever,” Elliott wrote. “For any of you who met or knew her your life was blessed because of her presence. I love and am in love and will always be in love with you, my baby!”

 

To learn more about #Stomach Cancer, read Cancer Health’s Basics on Stomach Cancer. It reads in part:

 

What is stomach cancer?

Cancer develops when cells grow out of control. The most common type of stomach cancer (also known as gastric cancer) is adenocarcinoma. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are uncommon but are more likely to spread. Cancer may also arise elsewhere in the body and spread to the stomach, a process known as metastasis.

 

What are the risk factors for stomach cancer?

A major risk factor for stomach cancer is Helicobacter pylori, bacteria that commonly cause stomach ulcers. Over time, infection can lead to inflammation and precancerous changes in the lining of the stomach.

 

Risk factors include diet, tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, obesity, family history, a history of stomach surgery or other stomach problems, having type A blood and possibly Epstein-Barr virus. Consumption of cured, smoked, processed or grilled meat and fish and pickled vegetables raises the risk of stomach cancer, while a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables lowers the risk.

 

How is stomach cancer diagnosed?

Early detection and treatment of stomach cancer increases the likelihood of long-term survival. Diagnosis starts with a physical exam, medical and family history and a determination of the duration of symptoms present.

 

It may be necessary to perform an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, in which a thin, flexible tube with a camera is inserted through the esophagus to look at the inside of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. If a mass is detected, a small tissue sample (a biopsy) may be removed to examine in the laboratory. X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound, PET and MRI scans may be done to see how extensive the cancer is and how much it has spread.