Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer

[marchone]

Last week one of my best friends was diagnosed after feeling pain in his abdomen and back. They began treatments immediately and he says morphine isn't helping.

His wife just retired and he was planning to retire next spring. They wanted to get away from Chicago winters and move to Arizona. We just made plans to get together in the fall for some bird hunting. He might not see the fall this year.

He's an ex-cop (LA and CO) and Chicago Tribune newspaperman.

Life is what happens to you while you're making other plans.

[4pfrench]

Sorry to hear that Wayne - I lost a cousin to pancreatic cancer several years ago, and it is a horrible disease.

Peace to you and your families

[marchone]

There is no justice, Paul. He's a good man with a good family.

[ericf4]

my wives mom went the same way...Im so sick of people not being able to simply die of old age...it never happens anymore...

[hazmatman]

That's how I lost my dad. Abdominal pain, some tests, Stage 4. Pancreatic cancer is stealthy. By the time you "feel" it, it's usually too late.

My condolences.

[JP Chestnut]

My Grandmother (age 60) complained about back pain for months until someone realized she had cancer throughout her entire body. It's a terrible thing.

[marchone]

He's 61. A year younger than me.

[Sidheguitarist]

Really sorry to hear of this, Wayne. I just lost a colleague in December from pancreatic cancer.

[jimyritz]

Sorry to hear Wayne, been hearing about more people with Pancreatic cancer...

[marchone]

He thinks it was from alcohol. He's the kind of guy who never gets sloppy drunk but always had a cocktail in his hand.

[FlyPenFly]

Horrible. I think Steve Jobs had a form of pancreatic cancer as well.

[foodle]

Horrible. I think Steve Jobs had a form of pancreatic cancer as well.

I believe Jobs had a rare form of pancreatic cancer that has a pretty decent prognosis, which is why he lived for quite a while after diagnosis. The most common type of pancreatic cancer unfortunately has a very poor prognosis, especially when caught late.

Wayne, sorry to hear about your friend.

[JP Chestnut]

Horrible. I think Steve Jobs had a form of pancreatic cancer as well.

I believe Jobs had a rare form of pancreatic cancer that has a pretty decent prognosis, which is why he lived for quite a while after diagnosis. The most common type of pancreatic cancer unfortunately has a very poor prognosis, especially when caught late.

Wayne, sorry to hear about your friend.

Indeed. Reports suggest that Jobs would have survived were it not for the voodoo bullshit he tried to treat himself with.

[Nellipj]

Sorry to hear this Wayne. My Mother-in-Law passed from this as well. She was 5 years into remission when they told her she didn't need her last CT scan and was cured. She died 6 months later. Horrible.

[AtomicTom]

So sorry Wayne. Always am waiting for the day when they say they have found a cure.

[JBZ]

Awful - sorry to hear.

[marchone]

So sorry Wayne. Always am waiting for the day when they say they have found a cure.

Early detection would be a start.

[lilhoody]

The first thing I'd do after receiving that news is buy a can of Copenhagen, and start chewing again. 61 years of age is a good life, hopefully he has few regrets.

[fastward]

Pancreatic cancer is a nasty one.

[chévere]

Sorry to hear this. =\ My wife lost her 55-year-old father to pancreatic cancer shortly before we met. He was their patriarch in the truest sense of the word and I know his presence is sorely missed. It's truly a shame how poor the prognosis is because there aren't a great deal of symptoms until it's too late.

Here's hoping your friend gets as much life as he can with the time he's got left.

[Seth]

You CAN survive for a while. I have a buddy that just passed from a stage 4 pancreatic diagnosis. 3 years after they told him 6 weeks. He hit chemo hard and it works for a little while.

[Henryj]

The first thing I'd do after receiving that news is buy a can of Copenhagen, and start chewing again. 61 years of age is a good life, hopefully he has few regrets.

I gotta disagree with this. I am 61 and a long way from calling it "done".

[matt.wu]

Sorry to hear it, Wayne. Condolences to you and his family.

[hazmatman]

So sorry Wayne. Always am waiting for the day when they say they have found a cure.

Early detection would be a start.

I didn't have a lot of time to reply last time…

Early diagnosis and luck play a huge role. A lot depends on a combination of the type of cancer cell and where in the pancreas the cancer cells reside: head - tail - body. Certain functions reside only in certain portions of the organ, and thus if chemo cannot kill or reduce a tumor to a size where it can be surgically removed without impacting the function of the pancreas, you're in trouble.

There is the option to totally remove the pancreas in whole or parts, but unless the surgeon believes they can get all the cancer there is no clinical evidence it will extend a patients life…so in many cases they are reluctant to do so…such as in my dad's case. They were considering a Whipple, a radical surgery that removes the head & body of the pancreas, part of the stomach, small intestine, some lymph nodes, gallbladder and part of the common bile duct. Very difficult surgery to recover from. My father was 71 and late stage pancreatic cancer really kicks your ass health-wise, so they would not consider him a viable candidate.

If your friend is still relatively healthy, the key now is to move as fast as possible. Get a oncology consult for chemotherapy and a surgical consult, and he'll have to make hard fast decisions. Push the docs hard. Show resolve and lots of spirit. Things that make them believe he'll survive the surgery and recover. Face it, doctors don't like to lose anymore than anyone else. Make them believe you're a winner, or else they are not likely to take the gamble.

If he is forced to go the chemo route first, it is very likely he may not have the time or vigor required to exercise the surgical choice later on. Pancreatic cancer moves very fast at this stage. He is obviously gambling with his life, but that is what ultimately is at stake.

[AntonioPD]

We'll pray for the best. Seems we all know/love someone who's died of this damned disease.