Addition to post:
I chose not to receive any treatment. I’m 83 years old.

@brookie82 ,

It's impossible for any of us (non-medically trained) to give a prognosis, because everyone is so different, and because so many details of your case are unknown.

If you were diagnosed stage-1 a year and a half ago and have no symptoms now, it's even harder to say.

The biggest questions to start with would be what type of pancreatic cancer is it? Where exactly was it originally located? Have you had any updated blood tests or imaging done since then? Is there any evidence it has spread since then, and if so, to where?

Some cancers are more aggressive than others. After Whipple surgery to remove the stage-2 PDAC tumor from the head of my pancreas, I went from NED (no evidence of disease) to stage-4 in about 5 months, with no symptoms.

If you have updated diagnostic info and no evidence of spread (i.e., you are still stage-1 or stage-2), you might have the freedom and time to consider some less invasive treatment options. "IRE" (IRreversible Electroporation), done percutaneously, is one surgical alternative you could ask about.

IRE is not generally considered adequate to completely kill a tumor, but does often shrink or damage it and provide some life extension.

It is also not generally performed as an alternative to traditional surgery like Whipple. But, given your age, recovery from Whipple is not easy. (Not easy at any age!) Although IRE requires general anesthesia, when done percutaneously (just by needles piercing the abdomen and guided by CT or other imaging to the tumor site), recovery is much easier than from an open procedure like a Whipple. You might find a surgeon willing to perform this as a palliative measure.

There's a short Q&A with some good information and a video from Stony Brook here:
stonybrookmedicine.edu/patientcare/surgery/patient-care/clinical/upper-gastrointestinal-general-oncologic-surgery/patient-education/faqs-about-irreversible-electroporation-ire-for-pancreatic-cancer

It's not the only info out there (plenty more on YouTube and Google), and I'm not endorsing Stony Brook (no experience with them or links to them), but the link provides a pretty concise overview.

Of course I (we) totally respect your choice to treat or not treat, and wish you all the best!

If you were diagnosed 1.5 years ago at stage I and not experiencing any symptoms, the tumor type may me a Neuroendocrine tumor which are the less aggressive, slower growing form and more easily treated when found early. The PDAC form is the most aggressive type fast growing and then to metastasize early. It sounds like you have the former type as opposed to the later type. It would be described on a cellular pathology report of the biopsy done to categorize it.

NanoKnife/Irreversible Electroporation (IRE) is a less invasive procedure that came on the scene around 2015 where it was being used to treat metastatic tumors to the liver. Recently it is being used to treat primary pancreatic tumors. The technique uses 6 small electrode probes inserted around the periphery of the tumor. A very short duration of voltage is passed between two probes, then alternating to each pair combination. The micro-burst of voltage causes pores to form in the cellular membrane of the metastatic cells in which the cell membrane damage is irreversible. With no repair possible, the cells go into a state called apoptosis (programmed cell death).

At present there is a large phase III clinical trial being conducted at a number of site using this less invasive procedure avoiding surgery in those that are having it done. More on the technique and the trial at this link-
https://www.angiodynamics.com/studies/direct-study/patient/

@brookie82, it's great to hear that you remain symptom free. What followup schedule do you have with your cancer team to monitor the tumor and how you're feeling (symptoms)?