Pancreatic Cancer Group: Introduce yourself and connect with others

All good advice from 199. I'll add asking your oncologist if you have ductal cell pancreatic cancer or acinar cell pancreatic cancer. Acinar cell is rare, but from what I've learned, a little less aggressive than ductal cell.

I was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer July, 8th 2024. I have my second appt with the surgeon tomorrow, Wednesday, June, 4th, 2025 to hopefully schedule the whipple surgery.
My tumor was wrapped around the artery when 1st diagnosed. My last scans the end of May show it is now against the artery but not wrapped around it.
I did chemo treatments July, 2024 to the end of May, 2025.
I’m currently receiving medical care at KU Medical Center in KC, KS. I’m on a waiting list to be seen by an oncologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. for a 2nd opinion.

Hi Brad
I was diagnosed over years ago and was fortunate to find the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network - https://pancan.org/. They are a terrific resource for newly diagnosed patients. With an email or a phone call, they'll send you a kit that includes questions to ask and a lot of other information you'll find helpful.
I've been donating to them ever since.
Good luck.

Was it histotripsy - ultrasound? Did it destroy the tumor? How did you feel? Where did you receive the treatment?

Thank you so much for your insights!

Hello, I was treated with a liver tumor, ablation operation

1. Ask the stage of your cancer. 2. Where is the cancer? Head, body, tail? 3. Has it metastasized? 4. Is it operable? If so when best to do this. 5. Radiation? 6. Chemotherapy? If so, which drug or drugs. 7. CT scans will be how often? 8. Test for mutations? Like the Guardant test. 9. When the endoscopic procedure was performed, did they have some tissue that could be used in immunotherapy at some point? 9. When should I get a port? (best way to get chemo)
These are just a few questions. Also, if you can, have someone with you because this conversation can be overwhelming. If you don't have someone who can be with you, ask if you can tape so you can replay.

How do I even know what to ask?

Make a list of questions for your oncology consult. I had so many tests & different folks to talk with before I found out my stage & "prognosis". I had thought I was stage I until the oncologist told me I was stage IV. On 29 June I will be at 3 years after being given 11 months. My "local" oncologist is great!

Yes. In some cases, like mine, it could be “estimated” before meeting with oncologist, but this rare I think. My cancer was discovered (finally) with an ultrasound; I had been pretty sick for 5 months but Kaiser general practitioner kind of ignored my complaints. After CT and PET and endoscopy the size of tumor was estimated along with the potential for how many lymph nodes might be impacted. If you look online, you may be able to figure out the staging yourself. Of course, what’s really going on May only be figured out once the surgeon opens you up. I never saw an oncologist until I got out of the hospital or following my distal surgery. It’s only because my dad had this disease and it was extremely aggressive and so I wanted to act really quickly and get into surgery following the ultrasound and PET scan results.

Not yet. I do have appt next week with a dr who does it as I’m considering this fairly new procedure. I’ll post following my visit.