Note that these biographies are certainly not typical pancreatic cancer patients especially as many were under 50 when diagnosed. However it does emphasise the occurance of pancreatic cancer in younger patients. In fact of the 8837 men and 9082 women diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in England and Wales (source from the Office of National Statistics) between 1996 and 1999 508 men and 336 women were between the ages of 15 and 49 (of whom 423 men and 268 women were between the ages of 40 and 49). The number of cases rises with age and in the same period 1314 men and 850 women between the ages of 50 and 59 were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

These patients are also unusual in that they have responded well to treatment. We hope that in future advances will be made that enable more patients to have this chance of life with pancreatic cancer. We also hope that they show that there is always some hope of better outcomes than the average statistics.

We have examples of the common form of pancreatic cancer adenocarcinoma but also examples of the rarer forms with better survival rates such as neuroendocrine cancer and IPMN. We are also collecting examples of cancers such as bile duct and gall bladder which receive treatment by many of the same specialists as pancreatic cancer.

operable adenocarcinoma

• Les Niewiara, age 43 when diagnosed with operable adenocarcinoma in the head of the pancreas, now almost 4 years after surgery

  Les part 2 - reflections on life with pancreatic cancer

• Mick, age 50 when diagnosed with operable adenocarcinoma in the head of the pancreas

• Trace, age 60 when diagnosed with inoperable adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas, downstaged by chemotherapy and radiotherapy to Whipple's surgery

• Peter, age 71, almost 6 years after Whipple's

• John, age 77, 5 years after Whipple's

inoperable adenocarcinoma

• Ed, age 34 when diagnosed with inoperable, metastatic, adenocarcinoma

• John1, age 48 when diagnosed with inoperable, localised, adenocarcinoma in the body of the pancreas

• Ray, aged 53 when diagnosed with inoperable, metastatic, pancreatic cancer, was initially thought to be suffering from gallstones

• Martine, age mid 50s when diagnosed with inoperable adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas

• Sylvia, age 60 when diagnosed with inoperable adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas

• Henry, age 69, retired when diagnosed with inoperable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with mets to the liver

rarer forms

• Anne, aged 49 when diagnosed with inoperable IPMN (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm)

  Anne part 2 - don't assume, or allow it to be assumed, that because you have one Big Condition, you can't develop other conditions, big or small.

• Philippe, age 32 when diagnosed with operable nonfunctioning neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, now 5 years after Whipple's

• John2, age 46 when diagnosed with operable tumour in the tail of the pancreas and shown to be a low functioning glucagonoma form of neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, now 5 years after distal pancreatectomy

• Lynn, age 32 when diagnosed with operable tumour in the tail of the pancreas and shown to be a form of neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, now 1 year after distal pancreatectomy

• new Paul, age 53 when diagnosed with inoperable squamous cell carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, downstaged by chemotherapy and radiotherapy to total pancreatectomy

other cancers

The first was orginally diagnosed as pancreatic cancer and then after surgery redefined as bile duct cancer.
• Julie, age 60 when diagnosed with operable cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) - has useful tips on pain control etc for patients who have had whipples

• Simon, age 36, operable ampullary cancer

See also patient stories on the PanLive (The support group for patients with Liver, Biliary or Pancreatic Cancers based at QE Hospital Birmingham) web pages which include some more examples of the experiences of Whipple's patients

• Barbara UK ex-pat 4 years post Whipple's

• Ave, diagnosed with operable adenocarcinoma pancreatic cancer

• Eddie, age 53, whipple's for adenosquamous carcinoma in head of pancreas