Horror is an appropriate description of this diagnosis. I too had liver Mets and was diagnosed Stage iv. Once I had a second opinion I chose to be determined to be one of the 12% that make it past 5 years. I also began to think tactically-cleaning out closets and drawers, getting work done at my house—things I don’t want to leave behind for others to plow through. After all-we will all leave this Earth one day so why not have it done??
I prayed for a doctor that was uniquely involved in pancreas AND liver cancer. That person has moved me from Stage IV to currently NED. The internet will scare you-it is indeed an ugly silent killer. But there are many survivor stories too. And don’t give up doing things you love! Play golf, work part time, take on volunteer roles. Whatever. But don’t give in to becoming a victim. The world needs you to be out there! God bless you…

It's a scary diagnosis for sure, but "woulda, shoulda, couldas" is a path I would recommend you quickly depart. No one, and I mean NO ONE, has the answers to pancreatic cancer onset. They can see, evaluate and name the mutations in the tumors, but the factors that cause those changes in the individual body are at this time statistical models with many caveats.

To be clear, I'm neither a doctor or a scientist, but with my diagnosis I've been doing a lot of reading, doing my best to learn as much as possible and this is how I look at it. Others may see things differently or are far more knowledgeable, so I welcome your opinions or facts. Let's look at our issue -- pancreatic cancer. We comprise only 3.3% of all diagnosed cancers. A pittance in the scope of things (not to us personally, of course). Of that small percentage of cancers, 90% of the mutations are of the KRAS variety (KRAS also appear in a far smaller percentage in other cancer types, CRC for example). Of that subset, about 40% of the KRAS variety "appear" to have some smoking connection (second hand, ex or active smoker, industrial exposure, etc.) That leaves 60% of the KRAS tumors that do not statistically have a strong enough suspected activator to categorize now. They could be hereditary, a chemical exposure through food, water, stress, you name it -- take a guess. Don't forget the remaining 10% of pancreatic cancers that comprise a mixed list of different mutations, some never seen before.

I have a friend, younger than most here in this forum, who is an amazing top performing athlete with advanced educational degrees, high income who can afford the best food and the safest living environments who has developed a pancreatic tumor. Why? How? Who knows? Please, stop kicking yourself about things you can not change and may have had absolutely nothing to do with your diagnosis. There is a great deal of information available these days and so much to learn. What matters is where do we go from here? I always recommend to learn as much as possible and make a plan and then get moving on that plan. Not easy to do. Not easy at all. It's important to take control of what we can so we can take the next step forward. I don't know about you, when I look behind, I often trip over my own feet. That only causes me more damage. I wish you only the best in your journey and I'm sending you love.