Pancreatic Cancer Survival

Question: Does anyone have any survival stories from pancreatic cancer? Any advice, stories, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: There are survivors and the best way to find them is to join online support groups for this type of cancer: Pancreatica http://www.pancreatica.org/ PanCAN http://www.pancan.org/ ACOR: The Pancreatic Cancer Support & Information eCommunity http://listserv.acor.org/archives/pancreas-onc.html Hope this is helpful to you.

Question: Stage 1 Pancreatic cancer survival? had stage 1 tumor on tail of pancrist. Had 60% pan. removed along with spleen. Told most people only live 2 to 3 years even after having chemo for 6 months after surgery. Anyone have any more information or have lived longer?

Answer: Go to the MD Anderson cancer center website - GI and Pancreatic Cancer. There is a list of survivors there. My family member is 16 months after diagnosis and was not able to have surgery. Apparently, her time should be up, but I haven't talked to anyone else who made it much longer without surgery. Of those who are lucky enough to get surgery, I personally know two men treated at MDA = 1 is more than 5 yrs out, and another 11 yrs who is an active volunteer at the cancer center. Both have had various bouts with chemo and recurrences, but have a positive attitude and feel that they depend on the latest treatments to keep them alive until the next medical breakthrough comes around. I also know a woman about 4 yrs out, who has been in a TV special on cancer survivors. These people are the exception, but there is no reason our family members cannot also be one of the lucky few. If they are otherwise relatively strong, healthy, and take command of their health, they have a much better chance. Keep up the faith and remember that "an average" speaks to a group, not to any one individual.

Question: Survival Pancreatic cancer? My mom is in the ICU, she has pancreatic cancer.She has been living with it for almost 2 years.2 weeks ago she had to go In because she had a infection on her arm and they found a cyst on her liver.I thought that was not harmful and the doc said she would be fine.In less than a week she is in the ICU spitting up blood.I want to prepare myself because the doc seems not to give me a answer.What do you think her chances are she will pull trough this.Honest answers please.Thank you.

Answer: I'm so sorry sweetie. My youngest brother passed away last June from pancreatic cancer. He had just turned forty. It's all about stages. Your mother is lucky to have lived so long. Remain positive but prepare to say goodbye.

Question: Pancreatic cancer .....how long is the survival rate with no treatment? My aunt was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. she is choosing not to do any treatment. How long should we expect her to live? is it more than a year? a couple months? = (

Answer: Here's an excellent recent study showing what you might expect. http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/erlotininb-and-pancreatic-cancer0505 "The current study involved 569 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer that could not be removed by surgery. The patients were assigned at random to treatment with gemcitabine plus either erlotinib or a placebo (dummy pill). The research team that conducted the international study was led by Malcolm J. Moore, M.D., of Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada. The results were initially announced in January 2005 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium. Results Twenty-four percent of patients treated with gemcitabine and erlotinib, compared with 17 percent of those treated with gemcitabine and a placebo, were alive after one year. However, the median difference in survival between the two groups was less than one month (6.4 months for the erlotinib group, compared with 5.9 months for the placebo group)." We don't know the stage, the tumor volume, the location of the pancreatic mass, nor the general health of your aunt which are all factors used in making educated guesses. We don't even know her age. Gemcitabine and Erlotinib are very expensive treatments - arguably the very best available anywhere in the world for this type of cancer. They have side effects in addition to expense. You can see that even with our best treatments the average survivals were in the range of 6 months, but ~1 in 5 of the entire group (569 patients) did make it one year. We would expect no possibility of cure - IF the diagnosis is correct. Your aunt may do just as well with supportive symptomatic care. I believe that is what I would choose for myself in this situation.

Question: What is the survival rate and time for those diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.? with or without Chemotherapy?

Answer: There are general statistics, but each case is actually very individual. It also depends on the nature of the tumor or tumors being discussed. Overall, the life expectancy is very low. When a person has been officially diagnosed, the life expectancy is from 5 to 8 months. Those who receive no treatment will most likely have less time than that. There are a minority who will live for about a year. In the cancer support group which I'm involved, I know of two persons who have gone beyond 5 years with the most modern treatments for this illness, but that survival rate is said to be rare at the present time. My mother died of pancreatic cancer. She had no symptoms until her case was already advanced. She had violent nausea and gastric problems for a month, and surgery was attempted. After recovering from the surgery she experienced a surge of adrenalin and thought she must be getting better. She lived three months after diagnosis, and when the time came, it all happened very fast.

Question: what Is the survival rate for pancreatic cancer?

Answer: Less than 20% survive the first year and 3% survive 5 years. The stage isn’t as important with this cancer as it is with many others as only 5-20% have resectable disease at diagnosis and this is the only shot at long term survival.

Question: how long can you live with pancreatic cancer? my dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and i know survival is highly unlikely. how long will he live?

Answer: Its really all in Gods hands. I am telling you this from experience. I am an Oncology RN and work with pancreatic cancer patients and have for the last 13 yrs. I can tell you its unpredictable and no one can tell you for sure how long your dad has to live. I have treated one gentleman for the last 2 yrs with chemotherapy and he was expected to die within 6 months, but now has survived over 2 yrs longer than they expected. He is doing very well. Sometimes they have something called a Whipple procedure to prolong life expectancy while they fight the disease. Its not intended to cure the disease, but rather prolong life while treatment occurs. Its basically a re route of the pancreatic ducts into the small intestine. Its big surgery. I also treated a 17 yr old boy with pancreatic cancer and he died in the same season as his diagnosis (approx 3 months). I just said a prayer for your dad. Peace to you and your family.

Question: If pancreatic cancer is caught early, what are the long term survival stats?

Answer: By the time symptoms appear for pancreatic cancer, it's usually too late. That's why the low survival rates for this type of cancer.

Question: Details concerning Pancreatic Survival Rates? i would really appreciate if anyone could answer/provide links for additional info on the following topics: -why is 5 years used to measure survival rate for pancreatic cancer? i feel like other cancers used 10 years -what is the likelihood that someone who had pancreatic cancer and is now cancer free will develop it again? -is it common for someone who has survived pancreatic cancer to miss its return? (more specifically miss it on the tests given by doctors during check-ups) -can pancreatic cancer lead to other types of cancer? -what effect does the spreading of pancreatic cancer to the lymph nodes have on survival rate, and survivors ability to stay cancer free? -basically any information about the likelihood of cancer returning to those who are considered cancer free for between 1 and 2 years. thanks!

Answer: It would sure help if we knew the size of the initial primary, the location, the grade of the malignancy, the regional lymph node status, and the confidence of the surgeon that he or she was able to adequately resect the tumor he could see. (Surgeons cannot see microscopic disease. A tumor mass with one million cells cannot be seen with the naked eye. A tumor mass with a billion cells is about the size of a marble.) Involvement of regional lymph nodes makes the prognosis worse. That would make this Stage IIB. The doctor should know the actual stage of the disease in the person you are asking about. It would help us to know the stage here. I looked at several sites and picked this one as the best to answer these questions for a non- medical person. http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/pancreatic-cancer/treatment/statistics-and-outlook-for-pancreatic-cancer 5 year survivals are used for all types of cancers. That is standard. There is no need to worry about other cancers. The primary concern is the return of the pancreatic cancer in the first five years. I'm afraid there is not much value for finding recurrent pancreatic cancer early. It is like finding out about very bad news sooner. We do not have good chemotherapy treatments for recurrent pancreatic carcinomas. All of this should have been explained by the surgeon and or medical oncologist who know all the details of this person's case. Here is the ACS data (American Cancer Society) Five year survival data from the ACS 2008 [Note that five year survival does not necessarily mean a “cure�.] All cancer sites 66% Breast 89% Colon 65% Leukemia 50% Lung cancers 16% Melanoma 92% Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 64% Ovary 45% PANCREAS 5% Prostate 99% Rectum 66% Urinary bladder 81% Note that most are still cured with surgery - not by chemotherapy.

Question: Why does pancreatic cancer have a 99% mortality rate? I heard on the news that it had such a high mortality rate. Why is that? How is it different from all the other cancers that have a higher survival rate?

Answer: Pancreatic cancer is only one of about a hundred other types of cancer with high mortality rates . . people or the media just don't talk about the others. So it really isn't any different from any other types of cancer . . . what they have not told you is that cancer is a progressive disease no matter where it is located. So if is found early when it is very small . . than there is a higher rate of 'cure' than if found at a larger and later stage. Pancreatic cancer is no different in this regard and there are survivors of this disease. In fact survival often depends on the location of the tumor and the stage the cancer was in when discovered. There are several different types of pancreatic cancer . . with only one type being considered high mortality. Anyway, pancreatic cancer is as treatable as any cancer depending on the stage, location, and type at diagnosis. Survival depends on response to treatment and the overall health of the patient . . and unfortunately the skill of the oncologist and . . luck.

Question: What is pancreatic cancer? what is the survival rate for pancreatic cancer if caught early

Answer: chances are not so good. if i'm not mistaken, the pancreas controls your insulin levels. however, i've only heard of a very small percentage of people surviving this deadly disease. but if it was caught in the earliest of stages, perhaps there is a chance. there is every reason to hope and pray.

Question: Why are there no obvious symptoms with pancreatic cancer? some people aren't diagnosed until they are stage4 prognosis. this is obviously terminal, but was wondering why there are no symptoms in the stage1 or 2 so that the patient has half a chance of better survival?

Answer: Cancer tends to be painless. Symptoms come when the growing tumor presses against something else. The area of the pancreas is actually pretty specious, so it's growing tends not to press on anything that would give a symptom. This is why cancer in the "neck" of the pancreas is a good thing. It causes symptoms thus you can catch it sooner.

Question: Why does everyone care about preventing/detecting breast cancer? It isn't the most common cancer and it actually has one of the better survival rates. Why don't we look at pancreatic cancer which has a 5 year survival rate of less than 5%? It's not like I'm pro-breast cancer, I just want to know why colon cancer or prostate cancer don't get the same media treatment. Everyone has seen the pink ribbons but what about the other forms of cancer?

Answer: Breast cancer is an emotive subject, and therefore more people give money for research. But you have raised a valid point, and if you start to get more people aware of pancreatic cancer - and get them to donate towards research and treatment, people will have a better chance of survival. Sadly, money is one of the most important commodities in cancer treatment. Scientists are doing fastastic work is helping patients survive, but they need funds to enable their research to go forward. Good luck with raising awareness. Verite R

Question: What is the remission rate of pancreatic cancer? My roommate is 21 years old and was diagnosed with the big C in August. I know pancreatic has the worst death rates of all the cancers, with with "young" patients (25 and under) having a 5-year survival rate of something along the teens (15% or so). However, his doctor recently discovered that he's in remission (praise GOD!!!). Things are looking pretty good right now... I was wondering, however, what % of pancreatic cancer patients actually achieve "remission" status? I know that a chunk of people that achieve remission are later plagued with more cancer...I just want to make sure I'm not dealing with false hope here.

Answer: Please do not worry about this, your roommate can be cured, even people with Stage 4 terminal, with days to live, have gotten themselves completely cured. Look for "Budwig Protocol", used successfully in about 90% of cases, used for over 50 years by this doctor. And now followed religiously by a lot of people all over the world. And it is backed by research by NIH, the most premier medical research institute in the world (www.nih.gov), I have given some references below. You can also go to NIH site, and search for '"flax oil" cancer' and find more references. It is equally easy to prevent cancer by following a minimal part of this protocol. Please pass on this information to anyone you know, and people in general (if you are convinced). 1. Dietary Flaxseed Alters Tumor Biological Markers in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15897583 2. The inhibitory effect of flaxseed on the growth and metastasis of estrogen receptor negative human breast cancer xenografts is attributed to both its lignan and oil components http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/queryd.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15849746 3. Support group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Flaxseedoil2

Question: Do all people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die? My ex (as of yesterday) boyfriend just told me he might have pancreatic cancer, according to his doctor. I'm scared out of my mind. I keep reading about people who have died because of it and that it is the cause of 6% of cancer deaths in the U.S. every year. I'm so scared. He's only 17. Do people diagnosed with this always die? What is the survival rate? Please someone tell me there's hope for him. Ok, notice I said that he said he MIGHT have pancreatic cancer. He went to the doctor on Saturday and found something in his back that might be cancer. He said the doctor said it is a 50-50% chance that it is pancreatic.

Answer: Your boy friend and you can both relax; According to the National Cancer Institute, Cancer of the Pancreas from 2001-2005, the median age at diagnosis for cancer of the pancreas was 72 years of age. There was not a single such patient below the age of 20 years. Approximately 0.0% were diagnosed under age 20; 0.4% between 20 and 34; 2.4% between 35 and 44; 9.6% between 45 and 54; 1..9% between 55 and 64; 26.6% between 65 and 74; 29.5% between 75 and 84; and 12.5% 85+ years of age.

Question: My step-mother has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer? it was found before she had any symptoms during a check on her liver (which is perfectly healthy) and therefore she has not had any symptoms. Does anyone know anything about survival rates etc when the symptoms havent shown yet? I have read a lot on the internet about this type of cancer but it is usually only found because of symptoms and by then it is too late. Am I kidding myself that she may have chance since they found it before symptoms? Waiting for scan results to see if it has spread. any info is much appreciated. xxx

Answer: There are several important factors here that should be considered, and questions that should be addressed to the doctor in charge of your mother. Where is the tumour in the anatomy of the pancreas? If it was found incidentally during liver tests, i would presume that it was either an USS or a CT scan. Being assymptomatic, would be inclined to say that the tumour would be in the body or the tail of the pancreas as opposed to the uncinate process, peri-ampullary, head or neck of the pancreas. The reason for this is that whilst small pancreatic tumours can often not be seen on USS or CT, signs of a dilated biliary tree often are, which would normally have led to some degree of symptoms. What were the symptoms that caused the liver investigations? The pattern of the LFT's, if they are raised, and which ones, could have led to the investigation, but often these tests can be a sign of trouble in the head of the pancreas, or the bile ducts. That is not to cause alarm, but just to see if she had any problems with her liver, deposits from the pancreatic tumour or any other problems. If it is in the tail of the pancreas, and there is no spread to the liver, then it is possible that the tumour may be resectable. If she hasn't already, they will perform a CT scan, which will visualise the pancreas in more detail, and the tumours position in relation to adjacent vascular structures. More commonly, and EUS (Endoscopic Ultrasound) will be performed to better assess the lesion and ensure it is not invading any structures. It is also possible to take biopsies of the pancreas at this point, in order to obtain a 100% conclusive diagnosis of the cancer, most commonly adenocarcinoma, but sometimes neuroendocrine (with better survival rates) Even if the tumour is in the head or neck of the pancreas, if the CT shows it to be small and potentially resectable, then again, EUS will be needed to assess operability and obtain tissue diagnosis. If it was in this region, and she did develop symptoms, such as jaundice, caused by the tumour blocking the bile flow into the duodenum, then an ERCP or PTC may be needed to insert a small tube, known as a stent, to relieve these symptoms. This does not mean the tumour has become inoperable. The reason pancreatic cancer has such a poor general survival is partly it's aggressive aetiology, but also the number of vascular structures in and around the pancreas, especially the head. SMA and V (Superior Mesenteric artery and vein) splenic vein and artery, IVC (inferior vena cava)....the list is long. If these are involved then the tumour will be inoperable. Assuming that she is in the minority of patients, (around 10-15%) who are surgically operable, she will most likely have one of two operations. pancreatic tail neoplasms can sometimes be removed by distal pancreatectomy, and often accompanying splenectomy, but sometimes will require a whipples. This is the case for all pancreatic head cancers that are operable. The operation is very big. It takes around 6-7 hours on average and will require a stay in intensive care immediately after. It has risks, but they depend on the assessment the clinician gives your mother and aren't standard, but they will be significant. The whipples operation is the shortened term for a pancreatico-duodenectomy. This involves removing a cuff of stomach and the pyloric sphincter, some small bowel, and also the pancreas, or at least the head of. It can be carried out without removing the pylorus in some cases, which is known as a pylorus preserving panc... Survival rates after this are around 10-15% after 5 years. If she is not operable, then treatment will involve either the previously mentioned stenting, with the potential for chemotherapy. Standard chemotherapy is Gemcitabine, which has been shown to have a good response in around a third of patients, this being improved in the GEMCAP study, which adds cepacitabine, although NHS provision for this is patchy and may need private care. Feel free to e-mail me any questions if i can be of use.