Diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Tail Cancer: No Symptoms Yet

Edder, my wife received a similar diagnosis in October 2018, she first presented with sever jaundice, after getting a stint installed to clear the blockage it took about a month for her bilirubin count to return to normal levels at which time they began chemo treatment of Folfirinox and Oxciliplatin. The tumor is compressing/enclosing the bile duct and several major arteries and have been told it too is inoperable. Last week I saw on the national evening news a breakthrough/major advancement ...from the Mayo Clinic regarding the treatment of inoperable pancreatic tumors...just wondering if you saw/heard about this or know more, or anyone else who may be on in this forum?

Hello, just wondering how long it took before diagnosis and what tests found it.
I’m have debilitating upper and left abdominal pain and am feeling bounced around to specialists with no answers.
Thanks

Oh no. This is not good. Get to a pancreas center of excellence now. Many GI doctors spend time ruling out everything before they get to the pancreas.

Where are you located? There are people on here from all over the country that can suggest specialists. Are you near a Mayo facility?

Edder,
How are you doing?

I had a simple CT scan that found the tumor on the body of my pancreas. All I had was small pain in the center of my abdomen a couple hours after I ate and it didn’t last very long. I only got tested because hubby was pretty insistent. Guess he knew some thing I didn’t.

I have not had any symptoms of pancreatic cancer other than a mid-back ache for which I was told that it was arthritis. I have lots of arthritic changes to my body so no problem. I asked my VA provider for a follow-up CT from a smoking cessation study I had heard about several years prior & then they found suspicious pancreatic changes. So, when I am asked 2 years later about symptoms all I can say is that I really did not have any of the changes listed for pancreatic cancer and I really still don't.

I was diagnosed over 2 yrs ago. Small stage 4. Cyst was seen in a scan which led to diagnosis. No symptoms then and still no symptoms from the cancer…just from chemo.

Get as much info as you can. Look for center of excellence (Mayo, Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, J Hopkins). As you will see in this site, self advocacy is so important. Don’t just accept “standard” care and answers.

My husband had no symptoms from his cancer. He actually went to the urgent care regarding back pain that would not go away with PT. Turned out to be tumors in the bones along his spine. He's 69, was in great shape from hiking, skiing, whitewater kayaking and just assumed he had done some damage to his back when recreating. Never in a million years would we have thought he had cancer. It's been a year now since finding the bone tumors. First diagnosis (and also the second opinion through Cleveland Clinic) were wrong... treated him for lung cancer which of course didn't help at all, and delayed his proper treatment for pancreatic cancer by months. The new oncologist immediately ordered a CA19-9 blood test which verified with extremely high numbers that the cancer originated in the pancreas. The folfirinox regimen has been rough. But I'm hopeful from reading about others' journeys on this forum that things will improve.

My husband is starting that chemo treatment next week. He also is in great shape. Active 67 yrs old no weight loss. Hoping for the best. He has heart issues lung and illiostmy. So he is a complicated case . Please keep in touch

Dan has mets in lungs, bones, and lymph nodes. The chemo stopped the progression of the tumors... well, we'll learn more tomorrow about what is going on with the bones along his spine... but did not result in much shrinkage of tumors. He didn't seem to have too much problem with the first 4? chemo treatments, but I won't lie... it has been extremely hard during the next 8. He had such fatigue that he barely got off the couch or bed. Taste buds changed so nothing tasted good and he lost about 20 pounds when he really didn't have any extra to lose. We tried about every beverage you can think of to find something that was tolerable for his taste buds, but we continue to go in for extra hydration infusions as he just is unable to drink enough. The CA19-9 test results continue to drop which is showing the chemo regimen is working. But the numbers are still high compared to normal. Now he is on a maintenance program of chemo and is feeling slightly better, but not great. Hoping the further he gets away from the full on chemo cocktail the better he will feel. Good luck to your husband and to you. It's a journey...