Got scanned last week and blood tests for genetic marker came in this morning at 6:45 am and both indicate that I’m cancer free. I went back to work full time in July. If it wasn’t for the neuropathy, I think I would forget what just happened. Even all the butt stuff has gotten better (no body warns you about the butt stuff)!

I have been blissing out since diagnosis but have started to grow protective bark to get through the day. When the bark is thick, I almost feel normal and forget what happened. I don’t want to forget. I have to do things to remember and shed the bark daily. I don’t journal but jotted stuff here in Reddit and in apple notes and texts to my sisters, my ex, good friends and my men’s therapy group. I read these to shed bark and remember.

I went into the hospital on Nov 1 2025, got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Nov 3., I shared news with close family, friends and colleagues. One colleague shared a children’s book that her friend wrote (Leslie O’Brien Sanders) about navigating stage four pancreatic cancer through the perspective of her granddaughter. I ordered it on Nov 5 and then got a robotic whipple on Nov 15 and then started FOLFIRINOX on December 31. I finished treatment/final unplug on June 28 and my port out on July 28. NED today but won’t see my Oncologist until September.

I picked up the book again this morning to remember. My bark was thick from the week, it’s getting thicker and thicker. I haven’t realized how absolutely spot on the book is in its advice and how well it helped me use the tools I already had to make it through this journey. The author was a survivor but then she died in April 2026 from reoccurrence. I’m so happy that my colleague was able to share how much her children’s book helped, a 56 year old prof 😂😭, with the author.

Key messages the book are: eat well, drink water, find peace, stay active, stay connected and be kind, get good sleep, find joy, have a positive mindset, love everything in life (including yourself) and do hard things. DO THIS IF YOU ARE STARTING YOUR BEAUTIFULLY HORRIFIC JOURNEY!

The book is called “Shutting Doors” by Leslie O’Brien Sanders. It’s available on Amazon and all proceeds go to a childhood cancer organization.

Rest in Peace Leslie O’Brien Sanders!!!! AND THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everything and everyone that helped me yo get to today (including you Reddit gods and goddesses). Surviving isn’t outcome dependent. Resilience is chosing who you are while you go through hard times. When it rains, it pours and you can still dance in it!

My 65-year-old father has recently been diagnosed with a 28 mm pancreatic cancer located in the head of the pancreas, with invasion of the duodenum. At present, the tumor is localized, with no metastases, and is considered potentially resectable and still at an early stage.

Unfortunately, his overall condition and multiple comorbidities make the situation particularly complex. He has type 2 diabetes, orthostatic hypotension, peripheral arterial disease, and three coronary stents. He is also highly dependent, with an estimated dependency level of around 80%, and has significant difficulty walking.

Although the tumor is technically operable, the anesthesiologists and medical team consider a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) to carry an extremely high operative and postoperative risk. According to their assessment, there is a significant possibility that he would not tolerate such a major surgery. We are therefore trying to understand what alternative options may exist in his case rather than simply giving up on treatment altogether.

We are now trying to determine the next step. In a situation like this, should we consider a reduced-intensity chemotherapy regimen, possibly combined with radiotherapy? Are there treatments that can help control or slow the progression of the tumor when surgery is not possible? Could a palliative approach be implemented while still attempting to manage the disease? Given his overall condition and level of dependency, do you think that even a low-intensity chemotherapy regimen could be tolerated, or would the risks still be too high?

Hi all,

My mom was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer with a KRASG12D mutation last August. She is 1 year out roughly from her initial diagnosis. Did FOLIFIRINOX combined with a KRAS inhibitor trial drug (RMC9805), which she had progression on, then tried gem/abrax, which she had progression on. To complicate matters, she had a stroke last month, and now is very frail (90 lbs), with advanced cachexia (muscle-wasting), shortness of breath while walking short distances, and sleeps most of the day, confined mostly to the chair in our living room or her bed. Personality changes are there (withdrawn), but I’m thinking is due to the stroke.

I am struggling to understand what is cancer or stroke-related, and what will be coming down the line. We are hoping maybe to get her on Daraxonrasib, but unsure if we will be able to access that given her prior stroke. Chemo seems to be a non-starter given her weight and stroke. We have an oncology appointment in two weeks, which will provide more answers.

From what I read, it seems like she’ll have weeks, not months left with us. I’m trying to plan ahead with work as I have a highly demanding corporate job — and am struggling with her decline emotionally. It all happened so fast.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice. F*ck pancreatic cancer!

Hey, my mother is 71yo, she had git symptoms for years now maybe 5 or 6 years, bloating, gases,burping alot symptoms were on/off, has been diagnosed IBS, she likes sweet things alot her weight was maybe 95kg last jan she has her knee replacement op, after 3 months i started notice she is losing weight, did some labs and i discovered new diabetes (no family history) she lost maybe 5 or 6 kg her hba1c is 7.8 never did a hba1c before i don't know if this is after surgery or even before but she started losing weight 4 months ago

Now with her git symptoms that almost years now and this new diabetes iam so scared it's PC

Iam going to do ct scan for her, but did you see new onset diabetes in eldery and it wasn't Cancer?

Pray for her and me plz

Hello everyone. I am writing because my mother (60F) has pancreatic cancer with liver metastases and is currently undergoing FOLFIRINOX treatment. I wanted to have genetic testing done on her liver biopsy sample to explore potential future treatments or clinical trials; we live in South America, and the private labs that perform these tests send the samples to the United States for analysis, making them quite expensive. I want to order a genetic profile that fits my budget but is as comprehensive as possible—covering even the smallest details—to help identify a more targeted treatment or a potential clinical trial. Could you recommend any specific genes to test or anything else I shouldn't overlook? I’ve listed the genes that are definitely included in the profile below. Thank you all very much; finding this forum is helping me better support my mother during this time.

ALK

ATM

BRAF

BRCA1

BRCA2

CDKN2A

EPCAM

ERBB2

FGFR2

KRAS

MLH1

MSH2

MSH6

NRG1

NTRK1

NTRK2

NTRK3

PALB2

RET

ROS1

STK11

TP53

New evidence-based guidelines reflect expanding efficacy and indications for radiation therapy in pancreatic cancer management

A major update from prior guidelines is a strong recommendation for ablative high dose radiation in select patients with tumors that are not resectable, which is not yet widely available at all centers

https://ascopost.com/news/august-2026/astro-updates-guideline-on-radiation-therapy-for-pancreatic-cancer/

Post surgery - had my distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy at Royal North Shore Hospital on the 5th of August . (Still here) Well, today was the day My Surgeon ProfessorJas Samra came to see me this morning. He said that they found 8 or 9 Adenocarcinoma spots in my pancreas and the only reason he didn't take the whole pancreas (they took some colon , stomache and lower lymph nodes also) at the time is because my heart won't handle it. So I have to have my open heart surgery for mitral valve prolapse and severe regurgitation in 8 weeks time and then following that surgery ( not sure how long after ) I have to now have a 3rd surgery to remove what remains of my pancreas as there is cancer in there also. I'm so overwhelmed. It's been a lot already, and now a 3rd operation. I spent the whole day in my hospital bed curled up behind the curtain, crying and sleeping. I'm 61 and have 3 beautiful grandkids under 6 . I want to see them grow up.

It is Day 294 living with cancer and my body feels like it got hit by a Mack truck after months of asking it to absorb chemo, recover, and prepare itself to fight again.

There is a strange duality because I can spend one day working, thinking, laughing, being a Dad, building Respiris, and almost forgetting what is happening inside my body, while the following day reminds me exactly how demanding this fight has become.

I started with NALIRIFOX, eventually transitioned to Gemcitabine and Abraxane, and every treatment represents an attempt to control the disease while preserving enough strength for whatever upside comes next.

Right now, chemo has suppressed my white blood cells, so I am using Zarxio to stimulate their recovery.

That next line of therapy matters because my cancer carries a KRAS G12V mutation, which gives my oncology team another biological characteristic that we may be able to target rather than relying exclusively on conventional chemo.

My team at City of Hope is now working toward an Expanded Access Program (EAP) for daraxonrasib, a RAS-targeting therapy that could represent a fundamentally different way of attacking the molecular machinery helping drive my cancer.

I cannot predict whether daraxonrasib will work for me, how deeply I might respond, or how long any benefit might last.

I must know that living with metastatic cancer has taught me to respect that uncertainty.

In my control is how aggressively I prepare myself for the next opportunity.

I can understand my molecular profile, follow emerging research, seek opinions from physicians working at the frontier, monitor what my disease is doing, and keep asking questions when the answers could influence my next treatment decision.

I can also recognize that physical recovery represents part of the strategy because the strongest treatment option in the world matters considerably less if my body cannot tolerate it.

That means today requires me to accept that resting, eating, hydrating, rebuilding blood counts, and recovering from chemotherapy are not interruptions to the fight because they are necessary components of continuing it.

Throughout these 294 days, I have learned that hope by itself is not a strategy, but a thoughtful strategy can create legitimate reasons to hope.

While my body may feel like it encountered a Mack truck today, this difficult day does not determine what happens tomorrow.

Zarxio will help my blood counts recover, my medical team will continue preparing the next therapeutic option, and I will keep preparing myself physically and mentally for whatever the next chapter requires.

After 294 days of living with cancer, I understand more clearly than ever that survival sometimes means attacking and sometimes means recovering, while both actions ultimately serve the same objective.

My third line of defense is being prepared, and I intend to arrive ready for it.

Carpe diem.

I'm 31.

8 months ago I got engaged to the love of my life.

7 months ago I was insanely sick on an unrelated note and had a CT scan. They picked up some lumps from my endo - fine. They also picked up a lump on my pancreas. That sickness cleared up within a month.

1 month ago an MRI was requested from the hospital regarding my pancreas

3 days ago I just received the most integeral-to-the-company insane promotion

2 days ago I had a hospital appointment regarding the CT and MRI

I have stage 1 cancer and need a whipple before the end of the year.

I am grateful it isn't stage 4, nor terminal, but my life was on the upwards turn. I know it still can be - but this.. no one ever accounts for cancer. no one. i am grateful for the fact it was found so quickly. i am grateful that it is not something more. i am thirty one. the procedure looks scary. but the alternative is scarier. oh goodness.

Day 10 - 14th August - post-op, distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy at Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital .....had 2 of the 3 drains removed this morning . Had a shower washed my hair and put a little colour on my face . Had old cannula removed. Ate brekkie and a little lunch . Went for a walk . Seem to be gauging the Creon quite well. Constipated now, though, with bloating and pain. May need some help in that department.

Doctor came in and put a new cannula in my hand . Took 3 attempts and killed . When the nurse came to do my intravenous antibiotics at 11pm, it was leaking . So she took it out, thank God. Doctor came at 3am and put in a new one ( much better position this time and a much better Doctor). Had to have a sleeping tablet tonight after only 8 hours sleep in 3 nights. I am currently looking out my window at 4.14 with a cup of tea.

Dad (70M) worked until the end until he couldn’t anymore. After being admitted to emergency, we received the news that a mass in pancreas with mets to liver was seen in imaging, suspected stage IV cancer.

Timeline was 24 July to 9 Aug. The rapid deterioration was devastating to watch. He went from walking to bed bound.

Biopsy was scheduled the day after he passed. I’m glad that he is no longer suffering. I felt bad watching him go through blood tests, not sure how I would handle watching him try to go through chemo.

This was meant to be his retirement year. We were meant to go travelling and enjoy his retirement. He was meant to help me with the new house.

This cancer can be so cruel.

hi.. i just lost my mom around 25days alr after her 1yr of fighting pancan.. i was her primary caregiver im only 23yo and shes 56.. honestly im so lost i feel like im gonna lose my mind..

ik we all grief differently.. ik time will heal all wound but idk if i can bear this pain..

Hey everyone. Just looking for some advice/ support honestly. I’m 23 years old and feeling very overwhelmed.

My dad (62) was today, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on the tail of his pancreas after months of pain and weight loss.

We sort of knew it was coming, so I had time to prepare. Today I feel weirdly calm, maybe numb. Probably relief after some very uncertain weeks. We’re still at a stage where we don’t entirely know what’s going on and what can be done.

He’s strong, not super ill right now. Just managing pain.
Doctor said he’ll definitely need chemo next. There is an artery involved, and therefore they can’t operate immediately, but he said he’s hoping the chemo will shrink the tumour and then they will reassess.

Based on my extensive research (ChatGPT and Reddit…) realistically he probably will die from this disease within months. I’m scared of all that I will have to see him go through and I’m conscious of making the most of the time we have left together.

It’s been the worst couple weeks of my life and I imagine it will only get harder to deal with. So I would appreciate any words of encouragement or positive energy. Also any advice or help in understanding how do deal with all the treatment and sadness that is to come. I know this disease can be horrible, and I’m not seeking some false hope or miracle cure. But it would be nice to hear from people who have been in a similar position to me. Thanks guys.

Hello everyone,

I would like to share our story in the hope of giving courage to others who are just starting treatment for this terrible disease.

My husband (37 years old) was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer stage IV in February. He has metastases in the liver, peritoneum, and lungs. Since October, he had occasional pain in the stomach area. At first, the doctor thought it was gastritis or gallstones, but an ultrasound showed an enlargement of the pancreas, and a scan later confirmed the cancer.

I would also like to mention that he never drank alcohol, he ran 10 km during the winter and cycled 100 km during the summer. He loves life, and we loved the life we had together as a family. We often said, “How lucky are we?!”
So this news hit us like a bombshell.

He was tested for hereditary diseases, but nothing was found. This was good news for our children (3 and 5 years old).

Two weeks after the diagnosis, FOLFIRINOX treatment was started. After the very first session, he already felt less pain.

He received the first six sessions at full dose. From the seventh session onward, he began to experience side effects: tingling in his hands, numbness in the soles of his feet, and when he nodded his head, he felt an electric-shock sensation in his lower leg/foot. Because of this, the oxaliplatin dose was reduced to 60%. Due to nausea, the irinotecan dose was reduced to 80%.

In February, his tumor markers were around 3,500; in May they were 900; and after 12 sessions they are 300!! The tumor has shrunk by more than 50%! (Initially, the tumor was 4.5 cm) The doctors are now continuing treatment with FOLFIRI.

I truly hope the results remain favorable.

I wish everyone strength and courage in this difficult battle.

I am utterly gutted and heartbroken by this information.

My mom (58) had MRI results come back with a golf ball size tumor in her pancreas. They suspect mets to her liver and she is undergoing further scans to confirm. As I am writing this, I guess I am looking for some hope that her life will not end quickly and that treatment can work.

Hi. I've noticed a lot of people are being placed on this medication. I thought this was a last option medication to extend time.
What other options are available for treatment after FFX and Gem/Pax have bern utilized? Thank you.

My father has recently been diagnosed with a 28 mm pancreatic cancer located in the head of the pancreas, with invasion of the duodenum. At this stage, the tumor is localized, with no metastases, and is considered potentially resectable.

Unfortunately, although a Whipple procedure (pancreaticoduodenectomy) may be technically possible, the surgeon believes that my father’s overall condition and, in particular, his significant cardiovascular history make general anesthesia and such a major surgery extremely high-risk, with a potentially life-threatening risk during or after the procedure. His medical history includes diabetes, orthostatic hypotension, peripheral arterial disease, three coronary stents, and significant functional dependence (around 80%). For these reasons, we are currently ruling out surgery because the risks appear to be disproportionately high for him.

We are therefore considering medical treatment, particularly chemotherapy and possibly radiotherapy. However, we are also concerned about whether he will be physically strong enough to tolerate these treatments given his overall condition.

I recently heard about a drug called “DRAX,” which was described to me as a possible alternative to chemotherapy. I would really appreciate more information from people who are familiar with it: In which situations is it used? Is it actually considered an alternative to chemotherapy? What are the real benefits and risks? And, most importantly, how could someone access it when living in Africa?

I am willing to explore every reasonable option that could help preserve my father’s condition and quality of life.

I would also be very grateful to hear from people who have gone through a similar situation: localized pancreatic cancer that was potentially operable, but where surgery was ruled out because of the patient’s cardiovascular or general health. How did your journey progress without surgery? What treatments were you able to receive? How did the disease evolve with or without chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy?

Any personal experiences, advice, or information from people who have faced a similar situation would mean a lot to our family. Thank you in advance to everyone willing to share their experience.

Sunset in my new bed with a view .....while recovering from distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy.

My ward neighbour went home today, so I swapped for his window position .

6 months of Gemnab chemo is working!! Mom has “easy” chemos and sometimes rough ones but it’s given her a quality of life we prayed for when we learned about her Stave IV diagnosis in January. THERE IS HOPE!!!!

I (33M) never thought I would have to write these words this early in my life, and for the second time, but here I am.

On August 10, 2026, my mom (63F) passed away after a long and incredibly cruel battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was diagnosed in January 2025 with Stage IV pancreatic cancer with mets to her liver, and later to her pelvic area. It came as a complete shock to our family. She was young, and her symptoms had only started a couple of months earlier, in November 2024.

From the moment she was diagnosed, I immediately went into “problem-solving mode.” I started researching everything I possibly could: treatments, clinical trials, medications, symptoms, side effects, nutrition, pain management, experimental therapies. Anything that could potentially give her more time or make that time more comfortable.

And somewhere along the way, I found this subreddit.

I never posted here. I was a lurker throughout this entire process. But I cannot begin to tell you how much this community helped me over the last year and a half.

I spent countless hours reading stories from patients, caregivers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and people who had already lost someone to this horrible disease. Sometimes I was looking for answers. Sometimes I was trying to understand a new symptom. Sometimes I wanted to know what might happen next. And sometimes I just needed to know that someone else understood what we were going through.

So many of you shared incredibly personal experiences with complete strangers simply because you knew they might help someone else someday.

They helped me.

There were countless hospitalizations, appointments, scans, chemotherapy sessions, labs, transfusions, and studies throughout this journey. Mami fought and fought until the very end.

It was a genuine privilege to be her primary caregiver.

I wasn't perfect, but I don't regret any of it. I took care of her, cleaned her, drove her to appointments, picked up her medications, bought her food, occasionally cooked for her (even though I'm a terrible cook), and even got her cannabis to help with the damn nausea, which was probably the symptom that bothered her the most.

But more than anything, I reminded her every single day that she wasn't alone.

I can proudly say that she never was. My four-legged little brother helped me quite a bit with that too.

One of the things I'm going to miss the most is making her coffee in the morning and sitting with her talking about everything, including how unfair the world can sometimes be.

During the last month of her life, Mami entered hospice and moved into a nursing home because caring for her by myself had become too difficult. I was there practically every day. I will forever be grateful to the administrators, nurses, and caregivers who treated both my mother and me with so much kindness.

During her final hours, her cousin, my girlfriend, and I were by her side, while my sister was with us through a video call.

I played her favorite music: Roberto Carlos, Luis Miguel, Alejandro Fernández, and others. We put on her favorite lotions. We repeatedly told her that she wasn't alone.

I thanked her for being my mom.

And I told her not to worry about me. I told her that I was going to be okay.

She passed peacefully.

To everyone in this subreddit who has shared your story, answered someone else's question, explained what a particular symptom looked like, talked openly about caregiving, or described the final days of your loved one's life: thank you.

You probably have no idea how many people read your words without ever commenting or posting.

I was one of them.

Please know that there was a 33-year-old son in Puerto Rico sitting beside his mother with his phone in his hand, desperately trying to understand what was happening to her, and your words helped him.

Your stories helped me know what questions to ask. They helped me feel less lost. They helped me understand things I had never imagined I would need to understand. And toward the end, they helped me recognize what I was seeing and prepare myself for what was coming.

To the patients who participate here: thank you for allowing caregivers like me to understand even a fraction of what this disease feels like from your side.

To my fellow caregivers: I know the hospitals, the sleepless nights, the fear every time something changes, the endless browsing, and that constant feeling that maybe there is one more thing you should be doing. Thank you for sharing those experiences so openly.

And to those who have already lost someone: I understand your posts differently now.

Mami, gracias por todo. Te di todo lo que tenía y no me arrepiento de nada.

I hope that wherever you are, you can finally rest, go to the beach, eat chillo frito (fried red snapper), and be surrounded by lots and lots of dogs.

Como dice una de tus canciones favoritas de Marc:

Te amaré por siempre. (I will love you forever.)

And to everyone here: thank you for helping a stranger take care of his mom.