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New diagnosis: locally advanced pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic Cancer | Last Active: Aug 17, 2023 | Replies (36)Comment receiving replies
So much has happened since I did that original post! Quickly... The cancer center where I'm a patient is not listed as an NCI center of excellence, but after some recent mergers, it's now affiliated with an NCI center. (Does that make sense?) I can't complain about the care; it's been good. I did switch oncologists. My first one was extremely negative. My new oncologist is terrific. So far, I've had six rounds of modified Folfirinox. Last one was Wednesday 7/5. I got waylaid from the regularly scheduled round on 7/24 by what turned out to be a gallbladder attack (liver enzymes and white cell count were elevated, and I had extreme nausea). Long story short, I spent a week in the hospital and underwent a bile duct stent placement and gallbladder removal (laparoscopic). My next chemo is scheduled for Monday 8/21. I'm dismayed by the delay, but it's understandable, and I'm trying to use the time to recuperate and build strength so I'm ready to resume chemo. Best news of all: My CA 19-9 tumor marker has plummeted from 1736 in mid-March to 276 on 7/24. Still too high, but the cancer is (so far) responding to the chemo. Yay!
Replies to "So much has happened since I did that original post! Quickly... The cancer center where I'm..."
Fwiw, I had an unwanted three-week delay in my chemo this past May/June -- dental infection, then extraction, then elevated liver functions from the antibiotics -- but KNOCK WOOD it didn't derail my progress. My CA19-9 has continued to drop, I've finished 8 rounds of Folfirinox, and I'm tentatively scheduled for surgery (Whipple) in early October.
I wish you continued progress and good results. (I wish all of us good results!)
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Lvtexas. Thats good news
I have unresectable mass
Have duodenum stent which lasted a year then second stent put in failed in month so difficulty in food getting thru. I am currently using IV TPN I also have bile duct stent , again made it a year or so but needed second stent as it also was being clogged.. i now have bile drain bag. Im assuming you are ok after gall bladder removal?
I had proton 5 day radiation back in Sept of 22 which gave me a good 6 months of quality time but since second dueo stent in April that failed its been downhill. Then the bile stent clogged up
Drs are trying to get my albumin # up so I have a chance of recovery if I get gastro junectomy. Where my junem( top part of colon) is reconnected to stomach bypassing duodenum. Has anyone had this done??