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Pancreatic Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others
Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (1298)Comment receiving replies
Thank you for the information.
Oncologist did say likely adenocarcinoma due to fact the tumors have grown so fast in a short amount of time. First tumor that was noticed was in an ultrasound in the liver in early December - grew substantially by the time a fibroscan of liver was done mid January - and at that time a new tumor of similar size of over 2cm found that was not there in December. An MRI done 2 weeks ago found 3 large tumors and “several other small ones”. That is when the largest tumor found in body of pancreas was found. They said since it’s in the body and not head or tail of pancreas Whipple not an option.
She has other health issues to include diabetes, high blood pressure, some coronary artery blockage (she has a stent in one).
They did say they would be putting in a port to do chemo.
Biopsy on 2/14/24 is going to be a CT guided needle biopsy through the chest to collect sample from tumor in the liver. Dr said since it’s in the liver already it would be easier that way and give same information as directly from the pancreas.
Replies to "Thank you for the information. Oncologist did say likely adenocarcinoma due to fact the tumors have..."
@hubby11
So very sorry to read this. Stage IV are words no one is prepared to hear. I heard them 11/2021.
Dittos to all @markymark shared. The biopsy to liver will confirm the pancreatic cancer without going to the pancreas. Quite surprised they would say no surgery with tumor lying in body. However, curing/stabilizing the disease is the first priority. Systemic chemo is the only available way to do this right now.
I can tell you my situation was similar. Tumors in my liver were the mass of a baseball! Through system therapy and an interventional radiation procedure, they shrunk and most died to the point that I was able to have liver resection. To get to surgery took time and lots of chemo! My pancreas surgery was 12/2022 and my liver surgery was 2/2023.
With your wife’s other conditions they will monitor closely. At a good center, chemo doesn’t have to be too awful. They will give her pre-meds to lessen the side effects and she will have days of fatigue. But it doesn’t have to limit her from most of her daily activities IF she has the will to live and to fight! My thoughts-start chemo immediately and confirm both tumor and genetic testing are underway. May God bless you as you start on this journey💜
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@hubby11 , The liver biopsy sounds sensible to me (with no medical training) for that purpose.
It won't hurt things to get a chemo port, but it doesn't mean she has to use it right away. Nature (cancer) has a way of rushing patients into decisions they don't have time to research and digest.
I would suggest you contact the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network ("PanCan") at https://pancan.org/ and ask them to set you up with a counselor / advocate / case worker. They are a good source of advice about many things including clinical trials.
You might also reach out to Cancer Commons at https://cancercommons.org/
They also have some good insights and links into clinical trials.
Both of them might only have generic trial info available at first, and then refine that after you start getting results about mutations from the genetic tests. But you'll have to keep your own eye out for those that aren't mutation-specific or on the radar of your current medical team.
Some trials are not mutation-specific, so they might be overlooked in a search that's too targeted. The bigger research institutions have more going on within their own campuses and more awareness of what's going on elsewhere, which improves your odds of finding an appropriate trial, which might be easier on the mind/body and/or more effective as a treatment.
If SoC chemo is the first route taken, be aware there are many, many strategies to minimize the misery, so feel free to search the old posts here or make new ones. Docs can test before starting to see if you're allergic to some of the meds in a chemo cocktail. They can start with lower doses and build up according to patient comfort, or skip some of the drugs first and then add them later according to patient comfort and response. They can add different anti-nausea pre-meds, pre- and post-IV hydration, and more.
It's always good to have the second opinion doctor/institution and clinical trial options at the ready in case the first decisions don't pan out and the drive is still there. Sometimes the sheer volume of research and paperwork takes it out of me, but good days and good people always restore me.
It's also well understood and and completely respected when a patient says, "enough!" as my dad did last year in his battle with mesothelioma. We're all in this together but all individuals with different needs and circumstances.