What to expect starting chemo for pancreatic cancer near arteries?
Community Member
8 days agoHello! My name is Cindy. I was diagnosed really after my primary seen my yearly lab results on 2/25/25. Bilirubin and liver enzymes were all elevated. I went in to see her about some itching I had going on and she spoke to me then about the lab work. Had another bilirubin test and an US. Bilirubin went from 4 to 5.1 in 5 days. She had me do an MRCP that Saturday and I met with an oncologist on the following Tuesday. He sent me straight to the ER where I had an ERCP and an EUS with FNA. This confirmed the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Start my chemo 4/7 in hopes of shrinking the tumor for surgery. The tumor is small 2.1 x 1.7 but it is near major arteries. Wish me luck!!
Community Member
7 days agoStarting chemo with the goal of making surgery possible is a common approach when tumors are located near important blood vessels, and many people in this community have walked a similar path. The oncology team will likely monitor how the tumor responds to treatment through regular scans, and connecting with others here who have experience with neoadjuvant chemotherapy could provide valuable insights and encouragement along the way.
Community Member
5 days agoMy exact story - even to the dates. The tumor is tied in with the splenic artery and is not operable as is. Chemo and radiation finished. Just watching progress of tumor. So far it is stable - no further growth but because of location, operation to remove tumor still out of the question.
Community Member
5 days agoGood luck to you!
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