Hi, my brother, who has lived in the US for decades, running his own fund management business which is hard work, for 20 years including his youngest son in the business in New Year 24, wishing he felt younger but no signs of illness then.
My brother only let me know by email in November the week before he started chemo, that he has a tumour in his pancreas. He got to phone and speak about it the day before when his energy was high, between a couple of business meetings. He was initially treated for diabetes, when he felt unwell in August. My dad was diabetic and I have high blood suger like my Dad trying to manage it by diet, though currently less successful.
My brother felt unwell with digestion problems, and when the diabetic meds were not helping he had a cat scan and a tumour was found. Fortunately he is being treated by an expert pancreatic cancer oncologist an Irish doctor qualifying in Trinity Dublin and working in a New York hospital for 20 years. His chemo combo includes some new drugs.
The tumour is too big to operate until it has been shrunk by chemo, and is pressing on an artery to his pancreas and also pressing on his liver bile duct thus worsening liver function and digestion as well as insulin production. Before chemo he has dropped from heavier relative his extra 3 ins of height, than me, I'm technically obese at 12st 6lb; to 10 stone. I know of two friends with older relatives who had tough times but died fairly quickly after diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, in the UK. According to Wiki survival rate is 10%.
My brother believes that if the tumor has spread, the systemic nature of chemo will zap the beginnings of tumors elsewhere. What is the survival rate if a tumor is successfully removed? Is this method of giving chemo prior to surgery unusual?
He was OK after his first session, when I a texted after his last fortnightly session, he said he was feeling rough. Do you think he is likely to get the buzz of energy again he was experiencing, phoning between business meetings, between diagnosis and treatment?
Two Grandparents, one from both sides of our family died of cancer. Both our parents we lost to dementia with my father also having gangreen, both in their Eighties. Our Dad had a mole on his shin removed that was malignant with some trouble with a skin graft from his thigh till it healed but he was checked in his 50s, then still managing diabetes by diet. He had regular checks but never had any tumors the doctors were aware of again.
There was a time my brother's American doctor were amazed at his health for his age and lifestyle, he used to smoke, and enjoys a drink. My brother then found out thart due to a clerical error his doctor thought he was 63 not 53. He is now 61.
