Apr
My stepfather is 48, just diagnosed about three weeks ago. I have some questions about the procedure the doctors did. From what I understand, he had alot of side pain and had some difficulty using the restroom. He went to the doctor and he was then referred to Johns Hopkins. The procedure they did was put a camera down his throat and take a part of the cancer out. He then had difficulty keeping solid foods down. He is now home but will start chemo in about six weeks. My family is very hush hush about everything (trying to protect everyone I guess) so I really don't know what stage he's in, the prognosis, etc. My question is, is it likely that the cancer has spread too far for the doctors to remove all of it? What is the general prognosis for someone who has just been diagnosed with this type of cancer. He does drink socially, smokes cigarettes, but is otherwise a healthy man. I am trying to find answers because no one else in my family wants to set things straight with me.
Answer:
I lost my mother 4 years ago to pancreatic cancer.
Doctors typically don't find pancreatic cancer until it has spread and is affecting nearby organs,.. so it's late stage 3 to late stage 4 by then. Tobacco use is a major risk factor with any cancer.
Removing the tumor depends on how far it's spread, what tissues have been affected, and the overall health of the patient. Some doctors will try surgery, others will opt for strong courses of chemo and radiation.
The prognosis is very poor, since it's always found in such an advanced state. Usually no more than 2 to 5 years at the most.
My mom was a smoker for most of her life.
When they foound the tumor they initially thought it was operable. When they opened her up they foun it had grown into her liver and wrapped around the Vena Cava. It was impossible to remove it.
Chemo and some alternative treatments helped for a while, but all we were doing was buying her some time and making her comfortable.
My mother lived 18 months after diagnosis.
But by no means give up hope: do research, talk to doctors, talk to other patients, call support groups, call advocacy groups, look into alternative medicine, etc.
Try to be positive for your stepfather and support each other.
Support him in whatever decision he makes regarding treatments and his welfare. Most of all enjoy every day that he is with you.
http://www.pancan.org
Answer:
well first things first….perhaps they don't know what to say because they just don't know…i just lost my dad to pancratic cancer….but he had it for years and didn't know…so don't let that scare you…they will have to do more testing…being that cancer is sneaky and moves in minutes…if not seconds…so they don't want to give out false hopes…cancer is cancer it is never good and it is never easy….what you should know is that they can do pancreatic transplants…it is an organ that you do need to survive..but you can survive w/ just a piece of it….lifestyle will have to change….and being that i have had that tube stuck down my throat a time or two…it just makes you sick…and the next step for him will make him sick too…my dad went through the same thing…couldn't eat or go to the bathroom or hold anything down…but his cancer had spread to the liver and he had skin cancer too….here is hoping that they found it in time….and he will live a full productive life…my thoughts are w/ you and your family…all you can do is listen….wait….and pray….
Answer:
Unfortunately, pancreatic cancer is fatal. Chemo, radiation, and/or surgery may be done, but will only be done to prolong a persons life and will not cure the cancer. The reason pancreatic cancer is so fatal is because by the time it is found, it has already spread to other organs. Less than 10% of pancreatic cancers are found before it has spread. In those 10%, the cancer can be removed through surgery. However, even in those cases where the cancer can be completely removed by surgery, the cancer will come back rather quickly. A 5-year survival rate for all pancreatic cancer, no matter how early it is found, is less than 5%. On average, prognosis after diagnosis is 6-18 months. At least 30% of all pancreatic cancer cases can be linked to cigarette smoking.
I'm sorry your stepfather has this horrible cancer.
Answer:
try gerson its a center that kinda cures cancers