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Hi All,
I'm new here. My father was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He had whipple surgery last October. He started chemo every other week just before Thanksgiving. After two treatments he developed an infection and had to be hospitalized. In the two weeks before that he became very weak and lost a lot of weight. He was drinking protein shakes but could tolerate little else. He wants to switch to another chemo treatment at a different hospital that supposedly is just as effective but has less side effects. Has anyone switched chemo treatments and how did it go? Anyone have had chemo experiences and want to share how they got through it? My father is an amazing person and I would like to do anything I can to help. He was so positive going into the chemo process but after his hospitalization is understandably somewhat disillusioned. Any advice is much appreciated!

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I recommend the books by Dr. Nortin Hadler, MD about too much testing and treatment. They are "Worried Sick", "The Last Well Person", and "Rethinking Aging: Growing Old and Living Well in an Overtreated Society".

Perhaps it is time to reconsider treatment that is making him miserable without any benefit.
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PennyPommery Dec 2020
Thanks for your reply! I will check out the book suggestions.
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My late step MIL had cancer 4 times in the past 20 years. 2 or 3 different types. When she got the second cancer, she was given a very expensive chemo drug that had fewer side effects. Her Oncologist had to send a special request to the NHS for coverage of the drug.

You have not filled out much information in your profile. How old is Dad, does he have any co-morbidities etc?

Have you talked to his medical team about outcomes?
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PennyPommery Dec 2020
Thanks for your reply! He's 72 years old. Was very active until the whipple surgery. He was on cholesterol lowering medication but in otherwise in good health. The doctors wouldn't give an exact life expectancy with chemo but said it can go into remission and add years to his life.
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I'm sorry your dad is going thru such suffering, and I'm sorry that you are as well. There is no good news about pancreatic cancer, unless it's a rare kind that is very slow growing. My Uncle George is 99 and has this form of pancreatic cancer, and the doctor told him he'd die of something ELSE before the tumor killed him, believe it or not. But most people who get such a diagnosis are not as fortunate as Uncle George.

What does dad's doctor have to say about prognosis? Is chemo only going to extend his life for the duration of the treatments, or, is there any chance he can go into long term remission afterwards? Is there any hope for him long term by taking these chemo treatments?

Sometimes chemo can become a bigger problem than the cancer it's trying to kill. Is your dad sure he wants to continue with any form of chemo? It's a tough decision, I know, but one that requires careful consideration, especially if he's going to have adverse reactions to it. My cousin is 48 years old and has stage 4 brain cancer. The chemo has been SO hard for him to bear that he's refused further treatments. He's allowing nature to take its course and enjoying his life to the fullest now instead of trying to recuperate from each chemo treatment. Extending his life via such means offers him such a poor quality of life that he's decided it's not worth it. I think that's the decision your dad has to make for himself. He can try the other form of chemo to see how it goes, but if he has adverse side effects, then it's time to reconsider the whole plan.

My ex husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 61; he moved in with my son for the duration of his chemo treatments which were changed mid-stream, if I recall. He was unable to care for himself for about a year due to neuropathy in his hands/legs/feet from the chemo, along with weight loss and appetite loss, and a few other not-so-wonderful side effects. I will say that he's cancer free now, 5 years in March, which is pretty amazing and rare for anyone with stage 4 colon cancer. He's a medical miracle.

Again, I'm so sorry you're both faced with such hard decisions at this time in your lives. Wishing you the best of luck moving forward & sending you a hug and a prayer for peace.
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I agree with some of the voiced opinions. I am so sorry your Dad is facing all of this down. The procedure he has already had is one that is very difficult to endure. My suggestion to you is that you do not add to any questioning or confusion by voicing any of your own opinions. As a cancer patient more than 3 decades ago some of my most distressing moments were caused by the advice of others. Let your Dad make his own decisions with his medical support and then support him fully in that. Especially if/when he makes his own decision on palliative care or no further treatment, allow this to be his decision alone. If he asks just tell him "Dad I won't ever be ready to lose you, but I will support you in whatever way you go forward; I will be here. Let me know what you need from me." Let him make his own decisions.
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I have not heard of anyone surviving pancreatic cancer. Now its been a few years, but Michael Landon and Patrick Swayzy died from it and recently Alex Trebex. I would think Alex got the best treatment available. Personally, I would have to be given a guarantee that chemo would cure me or give me a few years more. But, if the doctors have another treatment they feel may work, then if he wants to try...sp be it.
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I am all for second opinions at a teaching hospital, or entering a clinical trial.
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