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Husband had Whipple surgery and chemo: He's uncomfortable
Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Oct 1, 2023 | Replies (117)Comment receiving replies
@dgoinvestments : May I ask whether chemo + radiation has made you NED, or whether you also needed, or will need, surgery?
I've had six rounds of Folfirinox, will have at least two more, and am waiting for my onc to discuss my case at his dept.'s next weekly conference. It's not yet clear whether my cancer has metastasized (there are nodules on my lungs, but a CT scan three days ago indicate no change in their size, which is good BUT not conclusive); if it has, then my onc. doesn't want me to have surgery.
For now, the options seem to be radiation, radiation followed by surgery, surgery, or more chemo. So far, the chemo seems not to have shrunk my tumor, tho it has lowered my CA19-9, from 387 to 163. So I'm wondering whether radiation + oral chemo can zap the tumor and get one to a state of NED. Thanks for your time and help; wishing you well.
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I get my treatment at May Clinic in Rochester, MInnesota. My Pancreatic group wanted 12 rounds of Folfirinox which I did, then 15 rounds of radiation with two oral chemo pills twice a day, then surgery. According to my team, without a Whipple, I would die. With a Whipple I had a chance of survival. I did everything the team asked. Before surgery my tumor was not even measurable it had shrunk so much and my CA19-9 marker was down to 12. My Whipple was 7 months ago yesterday, both scans at 3 months and 6 months have been clean, NED and my CA19-9 marker was down to 3. I am very pleased with the results although the road getting there was tough, I would do it all over again the exact same way. Hope this helps. Best of luck! May God look over you!