A Groundbreaking Cancer Journey
- Kay Kays, one of the world’s longest survivors of pancreatic cancer, is celebrating 30 years since her diagnosis, serving as a beacon of hope for those fighting this challenging disease.
- Kays, who works as a research patient advocate and grant reviewer for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, was diagnosed in 1994 and “has survived initial diagnosis, locally advanced, and 2 metastases,” as she noted on social media.
- Pancreatic cancer is difficult because symptoms of the disease rarely show up until it has advanced and metastasized to other parts of the body.
- Treatment options for pancreatic cancer may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, which are drugs that target specific parts of pancreatic cancer cells, as described by the American Cancer Society. They may work when chemotherapy doesn’t, and also may have different side effects.
“There is HOPE,” Kays, 51, wrote Thursday on her LinkedIn page, reminding people that they are not a statistic when diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. “Research needs to continue to move forward successfully!!!!”
Read MoreLate last year, Kays was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Seena Magowitz Foundation at its “Power of Us” event. “This journey is surreal and I am grateful to be able make a difference in someone’s life,” she stated.
“I’m so proud and happy that you have received this recognition! You are an amazing person,” one of her followers wrote, while a second added, “Wow, what a milestone. Well deserved, my friend.”
A third commenter echoed similar sentiment, “You are an incredible woman. Thank you for your engagement.”
Pancreatic Cancer Is Tough to Diagnose Early
Pancreatic cancer begins in the pancreas, which is located in the abdomen, behind the stomach, and is known as the “silent disease.”
Symptoms of the disease rarely show up until it has advanced and metastasized to other parts of the body.
Although pancreatic cancer survival rates have been improving, it’s still considered to be largely incurable. An exception to this is if the tumor is still small enough and localized enough to be operated on, which is what appears to have been the case with Kays for her initial diagnosis.
WATCH: Why Pancreatic Cancer is Hard to Treat
The National Cancer Institute identifies pancreatic cancer symptoms to include:
- Dark urine
- Pain in the abdomen
- Unexplained weight loss
- Light-colored stools
- Loss of appetite and fatigue
Treatment options for pancreatic cancer may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, which are drugs that target specific parts of pancreatic cancer cells, as described by the American Cancer Society. They may work when chemotherapy doesn’t, and also may have different side effects.
Immunotherapy Offers Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patients
According to research published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases, pancreatic cancer “has the lowest 5-year survival rate” mainly because of a lack of serological markers for screening, aggressive local invasion, the tendency to spread, resistance to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, and late diagnosis, as previously mentioned.
Over the last several years, immunotherapy treatment has given new hope for pancreatic cancer patients. Immunotherapy is the process of activating a patient’s own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. These treatment options could be advantageous for patients who manage to catch pancreatic cancer in its early stages.
Dr. Anirban Maitra of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses pancreatic cancer
A study funded by the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy combined two immunotherapy drugs with chemotherapy — and found some patients experienced either a shrinking of tumors or a slowing of the progression of tumors.
RELATED: Immunotherapy Offers New Hope for Fighting Pancreatic Cancer
“Until now, immunotherapy hasn’t had a big role,” Dr. Allyson Ocean, Medical Oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, told SurvivorNet in 2019. “Now this study combines two immunotherapy drugs with frontline standard chemotherapy, and we’re seeing response rates significantly better than what was published with other chemotherapies alone.”
It is important to know that immunotherapy does not work for all patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, you may have questions but are unsure how to get the answers you need. SurvivorNet suggests asking your doctor the following to kickstart your journey to more solid answers.
- What type of pancreatic cancer do I have?
- Has my cancer spread beyond my pancreas? If so, where has it spread, and what is the stage of the disease?
- What is my prognosis?
- What are my treatment options?
- What side effects should I expect after undergoing treatment?
- Will insurance cover my recommended treatment?
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