Strange News Stories

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Pancreatic Cancers to Patrick Swayze and Steve Jobs

Pancreatic Cancer to Patrick Swayze and  Steve Jobs :  Two Separate Outcomes?

Steve Jobs underwent a liver transplant few months ago for a pancreatic tumor. That tumor was a neuroendocrine tumor.  It is rare and much more slowly growing and more benign. Swayze has intraductal papillary mucinous cancer. Patrick Swayze was diagnosed with it in January 2008.  His cancer is classified as Stage IV.  That means in it metastasized outside the pancreas to other major organs, like the liver. Five year prognosis is very poor for Swayze and he realizes that two years would be pretty good survival time. Jobs, on the other hand, has a good long term prognosis.  He underwent a Whipple procedure and then a liver transplant. He did not need chemotherapy. Ten years or more survival is quite possible without a liver transplant with this disease.  So Jobs should do very well.

The story Swayze gives is a classic presentation of the carcinoma of the pancreas.  He noted pain in his midsection while celebrating the 2007 New Year’s Eve and drinking champagne. He quickly lost twenty pounds and had constant indigestion.  He then observed jaundice in his eye whites. He knew something was wrong then and looked into it.  After a thorough evaluation, the doctors confirmed cancer. It was Stage IV pancreatic cancer.  It was reportedly inoperable. The prognosis then was for six month survival.  He has gone one year.

He did undergo surgery for removal of part of his stomach and some tumor.  Chemotherapy was used but he had some major, but common, side effects.  Lately, he has undergone Cyberknife radiotherapy procedures. He was told by his doctors recently that the tumor has metastasized to his liver. Recent photographs of him show wasting with facial and neck thinning.

Steve Jobs on the other hand is doing well.  He underwent a liver transplant in Tennessee two months ago.  This week he returned to work.  The controversy occurs because people can live for ten years with liver metastasis. They don’t necessarily need a transplant. He had a transplant so should have no disease left theoretically. The question arises as to the person who went without because of him.  Was this really needed??  I don’t know. I just raise the question.

We see two different diseases with two very dissimilar prognoses.  We have two tumors: one fairly benign and treatable; and the other aggressive and not amenable to therapy.  You can watch and see the unfortunate outcomes for one and a good outcome for the other.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 10:48 pm and is filed under Pancreatic Cancer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

12 Responses to “Pancreatic Cancers to Patrick Swayze and Steve Jobs”

james hawkins Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 8:20 am

THATS GREAT FOR MR. JOBS! I AM A PHYSICIAN,AND IF YOU HAVE
THE MEANS TO PAY FOR A LIVER YOU CAN GET ONE. YES SOME ONE NOT GET THAT LIVER WHO NEEDED ONE.IF THE OBAMA HEALTH PLAN
IS APPROVED, HEALTH CARE WILL BE CHANGED. THE WELL OFF WILL
GET THE HEALTH CARE THAY NEED. OTHERS WILL NOT. I ASK YOU
ALL TO STAND IN OPPOSITION TO THIS GOVERNMENT PLAN.
THANK YOU,
DR. JAMES HAWKINS

Molly Mac Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 9:53 am

One morning, in 1985, my mother woke up with yellow eyeballs. “Do all that you can”, my father told the surgeons. They did. She had pancreatic cancer. She will be 90 yrs. old this July. And she still balances her own books, cooks, drives a car and composes eloquent letters to her children. Who’s to say who survives, who lives on
and thrives, who makes it and who doesn’t? God does, that’s who. We do not exit this life until we have done all that was meant for us to do. Everyone has a purpose and who are we to decide what that purpose is. Let’s just all rejoice at our time given, and what we are to convey to the upcoming generation. The lesson here is what is it that we are supposed to pass on. Learn, live and hold dear that which we are supposed to. I’ve given time to this thought. Her great-grand children are still listening to her. What could be more important?

chris l Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 9:58 am

My husband died at age 41 of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer with metasis to the liver. His symptoms were similar to Patrick Swayze’s.
I am now a 37 year old widow with 3 children ages 6-15. I would not wish this illness on my worst enemy. He was diagnosed on Nov.3rd 2008 and passed away Feb. 1st of this year. In less than 3 months, I watched my 185lb. husband whittle down to skin and bones. He slept at our kichen table for the last 3 months of his life because the pain was too unbearable to lay down. No medications could alleviate the pain enough to even sleep in a hospital bed. Our children had the misfortune of watching their father waste away. I would like to pose some questions to you. If you could do anything to prolong your life if stricken with this illness, wouldn’t you do it? Even if you can live with liver metasis for 10 years, does that mean your quality of life is good for all those years? Unless you’ve walked in their shoes or witnessed the loss of a loved one with pancreatic cancer, I would seriously think first before posing such questions. Besides, IS ANYONE’S LIFE WORTH QUESTIONING?

Mary ann Harrison Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 3:22 pm

This is excellent information but I can’t tell who posted it or wrote it and I would like to know so I can be sure it’s trustworthy. If the above info is correct it helps explain things in a thorough and concise manor.

Martin Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

C’est la vie

farooq gandhi Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

death is inevitable. it is part of life cycle. what we are trying to do is interfere with lifes natural cycle. and that causes more pain. science should try to prolong life only upto to a certain point and leave the rest to nature to take its own course of action especially during these high tech research like DNA and genetics.

mmburgoyne Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 8:50 pm

I am so happy for steve, he should do well. I wish him the best. Patrick on the other hand has a sad fate awaiting him. I pray that he doesn’t experience pain and that he has some wonderful days with his family. I’m sure he treasures every moment he has. God bless them both. PB

Ruth Says:
June 30th, 2009 at 8:59 pm

The difference in pancreatic cancer is the location of the tumor. In the head of the pancrease makes it a fast growing with metastization rapid, the other can have surgery with hope. It’s a misdiagnosed cancer since it mimics acid reflux, pulled muscles, indigestion, back pain, and gall baldder issues. It can be diagnosed earlier if a C-19 blood test was done, since it is a “tumor marker” test. Most people do not consider “cancer” to be the cause of these physical ailments. I believe the blood test should be done along with the routine blood work, then it will be an earlier diagnoses.

KAOS Says:
August 15th, 2009 at 4:11 am

I have a female friend who’s 5 male family members have all died of pancreatic cancer. There must be a genetic link. My Mother died of Pancreatic Cancer. I think that C-19 blood test should be routinely administered to those that have lost a family member to pancreatic cancer. It would not have helped my Mother as she was the first in our family, but I hope it may save my children. Also administering the C-19 blood test to those patients that repeatedly seek medical assistance because of abdominal pain, should be a standard of care.

italian doctor Says:
September 9th, 2009 at 4:37 pm

I can understand Dr. Hawkins’ position, who fear to loose money with Obama reform, but is still acceptable that in USA more than 50 millions citizens cannot access cure? I believe it is unaccettable in a civil contry. In all other most important country of the world health care is able to cover all the citizens, and this is important. Of course perhaps Steve Jobs wont be able to have a liver transplant, but all other people, no regard for age, sex or money, will receive all the cure they really need, FREE OF CHARGE

jm Says:
September 9th, 2009 at 6:42 pm

My sister, 33, wife and mother of a 4yr old, was diagnosed Oct 08 and died July 09. Like Jobs, she had a similar diagnosis, stage IV, metastatic to her liver. She had 100% coverage in her health plan, yet was NOT offered the option of a whipple, intrathecal chemo, and in fact, in MN, a transplant was not provided as an option, especially with metastatic cancer. Whipple procedure does not guarantee cancer removal. Nor does a transplant if the cancer cells are in your bloodstream. Watch out for Obama’s health plan. Today we already have ‘preferencial’ medicine. Social medicine will only make procedures and outcomes more selective and elitist.
I agree with “Chris” – 6/30/09. No one deserves to live more than another. I wish no one the life experience of watching your vital, life filled loved one literally waste to skin and bones while enduring unimaginable physical pain while their muscles are eaten by cancer and atrophy takes away structure and body funtion, and replaced with inflammation, cancerous fluid retention. My hope for all diagnosed a life well lived and extended life. Become active in the health care system. Be active in research and politics. In the end we all die. No one should have to die at the hands of cancer.

Karen Says:
September 26th, 2009 at 4:45 am

I lost my husband to pancreatic cancer also. He was diagnosed in Jan.08 and passed away Nov.24th. He stayed in alot of pain and like Chris mentioned he hurt so bad he could not even lay down. If i had it to do all over again, i would not recommend the chemo and radiation for i truely think that hurt him more than it helped him. He had 30 treatments and it did not do a thing but spread even more. I really feel if he had not found out he had it, he would have lived a lot longer. It is very hard to watch a loved one suffer and die from this horrible cancer. My heart and prayers go out to anyone and everyone that has had to see this happen to a loved one.

Leave a Reply