Pancreatic Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others

I am not thoroughly informed on why 1 treatment is recommended over another, but I also was diagnosed with a 1b pancreatic cancer in the head, February 2025. I live in CO, and am treated at UC Health. The recommended treatment was chemo first - I had 5 rounds - then the Whipple, and now 7 more rounds of chemo to make 12. Radiation was never mentioned. I was told it was good that I was a candidate for the Whipple, it was the best chance for a positive outcome, and that stage 1 was ‘curable’. Not guaranteed, of course.
I was 71 when I had the surgery, and in good physical shape prior to being diagnosed in Feb., doing a lot of hiking and going to the gym 3X/wk.
I thought about getting a second opinion at the beginning, but didn't want to waste any time, so just checked that both the hospital and surgeon were ‘high volume’ for the surgery, this is very important. I’m doing well now, with 4 more rounds of chemo (Fulfirinox) to go.
Hope this helps!

Jerlind1- my wife has stage 1b pancreatic cancer in the head. She has gone through 8 rounds of chemo but now doing daily radiation with chemo once per week. The mass had invaded the bile duct which caused severe jaundice. ( without the jaundice, we would have never known about the pancreas involvement). She had a stent put in to free the bile to her other organs and intestines. The stent has been obstructed once about 2 months ago and had an insert placed in the stent. We were told that the obstruction could return and cause another surgery to clear it. Any comments on a Wipple surgery or another route? The cancer is in the pancreas head.

was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the tail and body of the pancreas with a lung metastasis at the age of 79 in April 2024. Subjected to chemotherapy with abraxane and gemcitabine every two weeks from May 2024 to February 2025 and stereotactic radiotherapy in November 2024 in the lung and in December 2024 in the pancreas. During the treatments the ca 19.9 dropped regularly from 1400 in May 2024 to 15 in January 2025 to rise slowly, but within the limits of the norm, from February to June. The March PET and the April CT scan indicate the absence of tumor activity. From July the rise of ca 19.9 accelerates and exceeds the normal limits. August 20 is at 87. Throughout this period I have continued my normal life which from 2021 means being the caregiver of my wife who is the same age as me and suffers from an abnormal form of senile dementia. In the next few days I will face the tests of the case.

What stage is your cancer at? 3 or 4? depending on this Nanoknife may be a good approach.

Tumor is on the head involving the uncinate process, abutting the SMA,
encircling the SMV and into a smaller vein. The tumor needs to shrink by
25% in order to receive the Nano-knife. Not sure yet how and if it will be
done, but CPMC has done over 100 of this procedure. Ruled out Whipple due
to venal involvement.

Welcome, Omar! My Spanish is limited, but I was able to read and understand your message without the automatic translator because my case was very similar. I could not eat, and lost 10 kg (from 70 kg to 60 kg).

My duodenum (duodeno) was removed during the Whipple surgery. The surgeons have placed two stents to open my stomach outlet through the jejunum (yeyuno). I can now eat a limited diet by mouth, but still receive parentaral nutrition via a feeding tube in my chest.

How are you doing now, after two years of chemotherapy?

@kakalena , Thanks for posting. Please let us know how it goes with the nanoknife, and whether they do the procedure "open" or percutaneously. What stage is your cancer, and where exactly is the (main) tumor they'll be treating?

Hopefully the tumor will shrink so that it can be removed. Meanwhile, be sure to receive second opinions even if they are virtual telephone calls
You want opinions from very high volume facilities.

Nothing would surprise me at this point. I will talk to surgeon who may be doing my nanoknife procedure about a 2nd look. I live in rural Northern California and am receiving treatment at CPMC, California Pacific Medical Center. My chemo treatments have been local.

Thanks for your comment re ca 19-9. I was told the same thing by my oncologist, that it's a trend.