Tracey Is Grateful for Her Surgeon and Two Successful Cancer Surgeries

Tracey’s colon surgery went well, and she was sent home to recover. Then she began the next step in her treatment plan—six rounds of chemotherapy to help shrink the size of the tumor before Dr. Vega could operate on her liver.

In July 2023, Tracey had finished the chemo under the care of Olga N. Kozyreva, MD, a medical oncologist, and was ready to have surgery. “Before the surgery, my husband and I met with Dr. Vega in his office, and he was amazing. He took the sheet of paper from the exam table and drew a diagram of my intestines right on it. He explained precisely what he would be doing in layman’s terms so we could both understand. Then, he took the time to answer our questions. He really impressed us.”

Tracey’s surgery was scheduled for a few weeks later, and Dr. Vega was able to successfully remove the tumor using minimally invasive techniques. “He said the tumor was located in a tricky area of my liver, but he was able to remove it all.”

Another Unwelcome Diagnosis

Tracey recovered from the surgery and was feeling good. She went back to her job at the Mass Commission for the Blind and continued to have regular checkups with her oncologist at Dana Farber. But in November 2025, she received more shocking news—they had found cancer on her peritoneum, the abdominal lining. Tracey’s oncologist suggested she meet with a few surgeons at other hospitals. “Of course, I thought of Dr. Vega right away, but for some reason I didn’t think this was his area of expertise,” Tracey says. “After meeting with the first surgeon we sort of lost all hope. He basically told me it would be an open surgery, and there was probably extensive cancer because it is never just one spot. He said the prognosis was not good.” Other surgeons told her the same thing.

‘He Gave Me Such Great Hope’

And then Tracey met with Dr. Vega. “He gave me such great hope,” she says. “He said, ‘Maybe the cancer is just in this one spot. We’re not going to know until we get in there.’ And because Dr. Vega specializes in minimally invasive procedures, I felt the most comfortable having him perform this surgery—and I’m so glad I did. He’s just a great person and a great doctor.” After the Multidisciplinary Tumor Board at BMC Brighton reviewed her case, Tracey had surgery with Dr. Vega on November 20, 2025. He removed the peritoneal mass and found no other evidence of cancer. “He was absolutely right. There was only one spot,” says Tracey.

Since her surgery, Tracey is back to work, feeling good, and under the close watch of her oncology team. “They are monitoring me closely and I’m hopeful. It’s a bit of a success story, because peritoneal cancer does not usually have a great outcome.”

Throughout her cancer treatment, Tracey felt supported by the entire Brighton team, including Amy Chan from Drs. Friel and Vega’s office, who provided administrative support. “Amy is a consummate professional who helped me with everything from scheduling appointments and surgeries to insurance issues and medical leave—she relieved a lot of stress for me over the years when I was dealing with cancer.”

Tracey and her husband are grateful that Dr. Vega was among the clinicians assembled that first day in the ED. “I know that surgery is the best curative option for cancer and I am so fortunate to have had the best surgeon—not once, but twice—helping me to beat the odds. I am beyond grateful to Dr. Vega for giving me my life back. I truly believe I am here today because of his skill, experience, and compassion.”