Pancreatic cancer: How a second opinion could change everything

A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is devastating news, and being told that the cancer “can’t be removed” is possibly one of the hardest things a person can hear. It can feel final–and patients using Google to research their condition are met with bleak statistics and terrifying prognoses–certainly driving home that their options are gone and time is short.

But what if that isn’t always the case?

Mr. Nikolaos Chatzizacharias is one of the UK’s leading experts in the surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer. As a distinguished Consultant Surgeon specialising in hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) and liver transplant surgery, Mr. Chatzizacharias leads the Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Programme (at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham)–the largest of its kind in the UK.

This programme evaluates the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy–administering chemotherapy with the sole purpose of shrinking the cancer before its surgical removal–on the outcomes for patients with tumours that are not suitable for surgical intervention initially.

What Does ‘Unresectable’ Really Mean?

When a surgeon is consulting on cancer cases, they may term tumours as ‘resectable’, ‘unresectable’ or ‘borderline resectable’ or “locally advanced”. But what does that really mean for the patient?

The pancreas is situated deep in the abdomen (your belly), and this organ is sandwiched between the stomach, the spine and the curve of the small intestine. As such, the pancreas is situated near major abdominal blood vessels responsible for delivering blood to vital organs. Its proximity to these vessels is a significant factor in pancreatic cancer, influencing the feasibility of treatment.

But that doesn’t always mean surgery is off the table for good.

Thanks to advances in imaging, chemotherapy, and highly specialised surgical techniques, patients once considered untreatable may now be eligible for surgery after undergoing treatment first.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A First Step Towards Surgery

As previously mentioned, giving chemotherapy before surgery–with the sole intention of shrinking/downstaging the tumour–can turn some previously inoperable cancers into tumours that can be removed safely and effectively. 

In Birmingham, a specialised programme has been helping patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer do just that, and the numbers speak for themselves.

For patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, 40% of patients starting this type of treatment can have a successful resection–but this number rises to 50% if the treatment is completed. With surgery, patients live more than three times longer on average than their non-surgical counterparts.

For patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, 20% of patients have successful resection–but this number rises to 30% if treatment is completed. This has increased the median survival (the point at which half of a group of individuals with this specific condition are still alive) to 33 months, compared to just 12 months for patients who receive chemotherapy only, and 4 for those who do not undergo treatment.

These are not just numbers–these represent real lives extended, time gained with loved ones and hope renewed.

This is Why a Second Opinion Matters

Every hospital is different. Some centres offer treatments–including complex surgeries–that others do not. That’s why gaining a second opinion, especially from a highly experienced surgical team, can make all the difference. 

Patients who have been told nothing could be done have discovered they had options all along.

A difficult diagnosis doesn’t have to be the end of the road. There are people who can help–and options you may not have heard yet. A second opinion could change the course of your treatment–and your life.

At Get Well Soon, we work with the best of the best to ensure the treatment you receive is expert-led, evidence-based, and gives you the best possible chance at a longer, healthier life.