3 ms·
Back when I was in college, someone gifted me Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture". It was my first introduction to this terrible disease. Little did I know then,
by karterk 7y ago
Back when I was in college, someone gifted me Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture". It was my first introduction to this terrible disease. Little did I know then, that a decade later, I would lose my beloved father in-law to the same disease.
When he was diagnosed, I digged into Randy's old blog, and realized how little things have changed since then. There is now a new cocktail of Chemotherapy drugs, but apart from that we have hardly progressed on this front. I don't think we could have really saved him even with an early diagnosis.
Surgery seems to be the only permanent, generic cure as far as most cancers are concerned. But with Pancreas, from what I read, even that gave a very grim future (as in Randy's case). If at all you survive the Whipples, you will be entirely on expensive enzyme supplements for the rest of your life AND carry a significant risk of metastasis.
- dekhn 7y agoI would say that surgery is never considered a permanent generic cure- most people would say you aren't cured, you just don't have a remission. This is true for basically all types of cancer. Now, the closest thing to a cure for these types of cancers is immunotherapy. Nearly everybody in the cancer field has shown amazement at therapies that "seem to melt the cancer in front of your eyes".
- sailfast 7y agoIt seems like the Chemotherapy / radiation is a lot more targeted and has less side effects. Furthermore, genetically targeted treatments and the early detection mechanisms of cancerous cells to avoid large scale re-growth seem to have improved markedly. That said, detection in the case I'm thinking about was super early which always helps with outcomes.
- modzu 7y agonot for pancreatic. only about 5% of cases have a genetic target, and there is no known test for early detection. you can look at a healthy pancreas and a few months later same person is stage iv.
- Japhy_Ryder 7y agoSo good to see someone mention Randy Pausch. The Last Lecture was such a poignant speech. RIP, Randy and your father-in-law. Truly an evil disease. Link for anyone that hasn't seen it, I highly recommend it: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+last+lecture+youtube&view=detail&mid=62208CD50463F86DF7F362208CD50463F86DF7F3&FORM=VIRE https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+last+lecture+youtub...