Case study warns to be wary of any unusual changes
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common and worst cancers, with survival rate being the lowest as five-year survival is less than seven percent.
One of the reasons behind this condition being so deadly is that it may not show any early symptoms for timely diagnosis and treatment. Further, symptoms that may occur could be confused by patients as signs of some other less-serious condition.
Michael, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 63, told Pancreatic Cancer UK, “My journey didn’t start with any of the regular signs or symptoms.”
First sign Michael experienced
In summer 2016, Michael retired from work and decided to travel with his wife Cathy.
“In September, we returned from a short holiday in Shropshire. Physically, I felt fine. Within a few weeks, I was experiencing very bad itching all over my body,” he shared.
The itching was persistent and kept getting worse. It took over his entire body, from head to soles of his feet. Michael felt exhausted and was unable to sleep peacefully.
Jaundice followed itching
Michael’s skin also turned yellow and doctors diagnosed him with jaundice, in which your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow. Itchy skin, like in Michael’s case, can be a result of jaundice.
Jaundice is another tell-tale sign of pancreatic cancer. However, Michael was not diagnosed with cancer until late November.
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Cancer diagnosis
A biopsy “eventually solved all the dilemmas,” diagnosing Michael with pancreatic cancer in November. He underwent a surgery, in which doctors removed the tumor, along with a large portion of his stomach and digestive system, which included 30 percent of pancreas.
Chemotherapy and its side effects
After recovery from the surgery, Michael started chemotherapy. This too, was not easy.
Talking about the side-effects, he shared, “By the end of the six months of chemotherapy, I looked like a scarecrow, dressed in very loose-fitting clothes and open-toed sandals with thin wispy hair and scaly, shedding skin. Not a pretty sight.”
Later too, he had a “large incisional hernia” as the site of the stomach opening for the operation broke down.
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Road to recovery
Talking about his recovery process, Michael said, “Three major operations and six months of chemotherapy in three years has been no picnic, but things are now on the up.”
He added, “The incisional hernia repair has been a success and although I am still on three monthly CT scans, I am stable with no evidence of recurrence of the cancer.”