Connect
Pancreatic Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others
Welcome to the Pancreatic Cancer group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
This is a welcoming, safe place where you can meet people living with pancreatic cancer or caring for someone with pancreatic cancer. Let’s learn from each other and share stories about living well with cancer, coping with the challenges and offering tips.
I’m Colleen, and I’m the moderator of this group, and Community Director of Connect. Chances are you’ll to be greeted by fellow members and volunteer patient Mentors, when you post to this group. Learn more about Moderators and Volunteer Mentors on Connect.
We look forward to welcoming you and introducing you to other members. Feel free to browse the topics or start a new one.
Pull up a chair. Let's start with introductions.
When were you diagnosed with pancreatic cancer? What treatments have you had? How are you doing?
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Pancreatic Cancer Support Group.
Connect
This is so hard to respond to without knowing details of his disease.
However, we know the more you can strengthen his immune system to prepare for treatment, the stronger he will be in fighting. Protein can be acquired in many ways. Also, and most importantly, HOPE. Hope drives us to fight. Many therapies are in clinical trial. The whole approach to treating cancer is changing. Get at least two opinions and be sure his doctor orders molecular testing to know of any gene mutations he may have.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@lila1980 Hi and welcome to Mayo Connect. Do you know what type of cancer that he has? Where is it and where did it spread to for it to be stage 4?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@billb720301, I bet seeing the elevated CA19-9 has you worried. As you likely know, there are several things that can cause the CA19-9 to rise, so further testing is usually required.
Have you had further testing? What did your oncologist suggest? How are you doing?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsHi. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 pancreatic cancer in August 2025. I have had 8 rounds of chemo. I am now looking at radiation and surgery.
I would like to know if others had radiation before or after surgery. I have the choice to have radiation before or wait to see what the margins look like at surgery. Then I may or may not need radiation.
@jjmacc
Would you mind sharing the name of your surgeon?
I’m happy you had an amazing outcome.
@piedmontsteve
Which Mayo clinic , did you go to?
@monterrey1997 I went to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. I’ll be returning in March.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@colleenyoung thanks for your inquiry. I’m scheduled for a Ct scan and a pet scan, and I’ve scheduled more blood tests. I will ask my oncologist what he thinks about it. Our next scheduled visit is in six weeks. I’m concerned because the CA 19-9 went from 8 to 173. Yes it could be caused by something else. My next ctDNA test will be more definitive. Any suggestions are appreciated.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@monterrey1997
Christopher Wolfgang @ NYU, formerly of Johns Hopkins
https://nyulangone.org/doctors/1770519761/christopher-wolfgang
@akhealth15
I had surgery last January after initial diagnosis in July ‘24 and chemo until December. One surgeon wanted me to have radiation treatment to maximally shrink the tumor before considering doing surgery. The surgeon I went with strongly discouraged radiation because the tumor was wrapped around some vascular and radiation would make the vascular reconstruction more difficult/more likely to fail. So no radiation in my case.