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I'm aware of the prognosis, have been doing some searching as well and am not finding much encouraging news. First radiation treatment Monday; apparently not a candidate for surgery (because of where the tumor is, I believe)...I want to be as supportive as possible (this is an IRL friend), does anyone have any links or experience to share?
Not good experience. I had 2 friends some years ago who both died within 2 yrs of diagnosis. Maybe treatment has progressed since then? Sorry to be such a downer.
It is never good with pancreatic. I had a scare where a year after chemo a ct scan showed an enlarged pancreas. After futher testing it was concluded that it was all okay.
Progress has been made, but the outcome is still not always good.
Thanks...as I said, I am aware that the prognosis is grim (as is my friend) although stage 2A PC is good; it's usually not caught so early.
I guess rephrasing my question a bit...what can I do to be supportive and helpful for someone who is facing a difficult cancer?
Listen to them. Sometimes the ear is the best thing for them. Ask them too. Also when the dust settles is another prime time to check in on them. After others have "moved on."
Thanks so much SD, this is helpful. I am glad you're doing OK, yes?
I offered to go to this morning's appt with him since I'm not working today but he said he'd be fine. Luckily he has a good job and good insurance. I worry that he does not have a good social/family support system, I think I'm the only one he's told so far. I'm encouaging him to reach out to others and talk to his onco about support groups and so on. I have little experience with cancer....a family member died of liver cancer but it was very fast, less than two weeks from diagnosis.
Some good suggestions in those threads. I'll definitely continue to listen and be there for him.
I should add... Sometimes they don't want to talk about it or want to talk about something different. That is a patients way of coping and dealing with things. Make the conversation open ended. If they don't want to talk or seem closed off they dealing with things.
Everyone copes in their own way. As long as it is not harmful to themselves or others that is okay fine.
Yes I have been declared cured and the only time I want to see my oncologist is when I am out hunting pheasants.
Thanks so much SD, this is helpful. I am glad you're doing OK, yes?
I offered to go to this morning's appt with him since I'm not working today but he said he'd be fine. Luckily he has a good job and good insurance. I worry that he does not have a good social/family support system, I think I'm the only one he's told so far. I'm encouaging him to reach out to others and talk to his onco about support groups and so on. I have little experience with cancer....a family member died of liver cancer but it was very fast, less than two weeks from diagnosis.
Some good suggestions in those threads. I'll definitely continue to listen and be there for him.
I sent you some information for PC via direct message. The 3 places I listed are supposed to be the best for PC.
the best at treating pc in this country-
Dr Fine -The Pancreas Center @ Columbia
Multidisciplinary Pancreatic Cancer Team at Johns Hopkins
See here- Pancreatic Cancer Dream Team (Dream Team Series part 2 of 5) | Stand Up To Cancer (http://www.standup2cancer.org/node/4536 - broken link)
“Cutting off the Fuel Supply: A New Approach to the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer” / Leaders: Craig B. Thompson, M.D., Director, Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and Daniel D. Von Hoff, M.D., Senior Investigator and Physician in Chief at the Translational Research Genomics Institute (TGen).
You can read more about it here- someone from Hopkins is on the team Link
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