04/01/2026
Trinidad Barrios learned he had colorectal cancer on a Saturday morning in September 2024. “I hadn’t been feeling well,” he says. “I had been losing weight, and I had a fever and chills.” After a particularly difficult day at work, he went to the emergency department, where a CT scan revealed a tumor in his colon the size of a grapefruit. He was rushed into surgery, but once doctors began the procedure, they realized the cancer couldn’t be removed. Trinidad and his family were told there was nothing more they could do—and that he didn’t have much time left.
Determined to find another option, his family pushed for a second opinion. Trinidad was transferred to Boston Medical Center – Brighton, where Dr. Eduardo Vega reviewed his scans and saw a path forward, despite the cancer having spread to his liver and gallbladder. “I was nervous to go back into surgery, but I felt like I could trust Dr. Vega,” Trinidad says. After an 11-hour operation, Dr. Vega successfully removed the tumor along with parts of Trinidad’s liver, small intestine, and gallbladder.
Even then, Trinidad’s journey wasn’t over. He underwent additional chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and a third surgery to treat remaining cancer in his liver. The treatments were tough, but he kept going. A couple of months ago, Trinidad got the good news he was hoping for—a CT scan showed he was clear of cancer. “They said everything looks good and everything was clean. I’m back at work now and feeling great. It’s amazing how much Dr. Vega helped me. If he hadn’t stepped in and done the surgery, I would not be alive right now.”
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