Talk Cancer

Question:

My infant daughter had 90% of her pancreas removed when she was six months old.  She does very well without it:  no drugs/no insulin.  She eats a low-carbo diet, and I check her blood sugar often.  If its a little high (over 150), I chase her around the yard for a while.  I know it sounds crazy, but she’s doing just fine.  However, the operation was brutal, and the recovery was very intense.  Also, she got adhesions that strangled her intestines and she nearly died five months after her pancreatechtomy. But, it can be done. Hope this sheds some light.

Response:

QUESTIONS?  Yes, I have one. Could you give a short detailed explanation of the "Whipple procedure"? I had a pancreatic abscess drained this past summer, but remain unsure about what was actually done in the OR. Another patient who was unhappilt prone to these abcesses had two proecdures done in the CTScan room; is *that* the "Whipple"?         Harry Hill – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : My neighbor’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctors’ve : told him there’s nothing that can be done. Why can’t they simply : remove the pancreas and have him live out the rest of his life on : insulin? I know I’ve read of other instances where the pancrease was : removed (pancreatitis) where the person continued to live an otherwise : normal life. : — Pancreatic cancer has a fairly poor survival curve (5 years post treatment).  If the pancreatic cancer is fairly localized, a Whipple procedure can be used to remove the cancer. Supplements for the pancreatic enzymes can be used to replace the exocrine and endocrine functions as needed. Unfortunately, most pancreatic cancers don’t present until they are beyond Stage I (localized) and there is microscopic dissemination. Yes, there are palliative procedures…as well as the new drug in clinical trials (gemcitabine or Gemzar is the commerical name, as produced by Eli Lilly). Many oncologist dismiss pancreatic cancer patients as hopeless. I am 100% opposed to this…even if there are no obvious definitive procedures, palliative treatment can render 3-6 years of QUALITY life (as defined by the patient)…and some oncology centers are in agreement with me. Questions? Loren Buhle

Response:

: My neighbor’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctors’ve : told him there’s nothing that can be done. Why can’t they simply : remove the pancreas and have him live out the rest of his life on : insulin? I know I’ve read of other instances where the pancrease was : removed (pancreatitis) where the person continued to live an otherwise : normal life. : — : Chuck Hamilton Chuck, I am not a physician but your idea sounds ok to me.  Someone whose name I’ve lost participates in these discussions because her husband has had his pancreas removed.  She said he does reasonably well without it. Two possibilities come to mind:(1) The cancer has metastisized so that removing the pancreas would not remove the cancer, in which case your neighbor is in deep trouble.  I have often thought that in a similar situation I would crank up the vitamin C and selenium to try to kill the damned things.  But that opinion is not supported by research. (2) The doctors are either ignorant or too lazy to consider the pancreas removal.  Your neighbor should go see a good oncologist, even if they have to go outside their health plan and pay for it themselves. Time is of the essence and all they will be doing is depleting their heirs inheritance. Good luck to them and keep us informed. —

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : My neighbor’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctors’ve : told him there’s nothing that can be done. Why can’t they simply : remove the pancreas and have him live out the rest of his life on : insulin? I know I’ve read of other instances where the pancrease was : removed (pancreatitis) where the person continued to live an otherwise : normal life. : — : Chuck Hamilton Chuck, I am not a physician but your idea sounds ok to me.  Someone whose name I’ve lost participates in these discussions because her husband has had his pancreas removed.  She said he does reasonably well without it. Two possibilities come to mind:(1) The cancer has metastisized so that removing the pancreas would not remove the cancer, in which case your neighbor is in deep trouble.  I have often thought that in a similar situation I would crank up the vitamin C and selenium to try to kill the damned things.  But that opinion is not supported by research. (2) The doctors are either ignorant or too lazy to consider the pancreas removal.  Your neighbor should go see a good oncologist, even if they have to go outside their health plan and pay for it themselves. Time is of the essence and all they will be doing is depleting their heirs inheritance.

The most likely reason that the doctors do not recommend removing the pancreas is that the statistical odds for survival do not improve with surgery.  Standard medical practice relies heavily upon the accumulated experience of treating many people.  Sometimes, this experience may be at odds with what seems to others to be common sense. — Steve Kirchoefer Naval Research Laboratory Washington, DC  20375-5347

Response:

: My neighbor’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctors’ve : told him there’s nothing that can be done. Why can’t they simply : remove the pancreas and have him live out the rest of his life on : insulin? I know I’ve read of other instances where the pancrease was : removed (pancreatitis) where the person continued to live an otherwise : normal life. : —

Pancreatic cancer has a fairly poor survival curve (5 years post treatment).  If the pancreatic cancer is fairly localized, a Whipple procedure can be used to remove the cancer. Supplements for the pancreatic enzymes can be used to replace the exocrine and endocrine functions as needed. Unfortunately, most pancreatic cancers don’t present until they are beyond Stage I (localized) and there is microscopic dissemination. Yes, there are palliative procedures…as well as the new drug in clinical trials (gemcitabine or Gemzar is the commerical name, as produced by Eli Lilly). Many oncologist dismiss pancreatic cancer patients as hopeless. I am 100% opposed to this…even if there are no obvious definitive procedures, palliative treatment can render 3-6 years of QUALITY life (as defined by the patient)…and some oncology centers are in agreement with me. Questions? Loren Buhle

Response:

My neighbor’s been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His doctors’ve told him there’s nothing that can be done. Why can’t they simply remove the pancreas and have him live out the rest of his life on insulin? I know I’ve read of other instances where the pancrease was removed (pancreatitis) where the person continued to live an otherwise normal life. — Chuck Hamilton If at first you don’t succeed, sky-diving isn’t for you.

Response: