After last week’s essay about this disease condition, it has become necessary to help readers understand the peculiar nature of the organ. The pancreas is an organ located deep within the back recesses of the abdomen, lodged somewhere between the stomach in front and the spine behind.
The spine itself is surrounded by bulky muscles, which offer it a kind of cushion and act as a shock absorber, if you like.
Cancer in this organ is usually difficult to spot or diagnose because of this location and its relationship with other organs around it—namely the liver, stomach, gall bladder and the chest.
Specifically noteworthy is the fact that pancreatic cancer has claimed the lives of several notable individuals, highlighting the aggressive nature of the disease and the challenges involved in treating it.
We shall examine some prominent figures who have been diagnosed with and died from pancreatic cancer.
One of these notables is Steve Jobs (1955–2011), the co-founder of Apple Incorporated and the visionary behind Apple’s revolutionary products. He was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer called a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour in 2003.
He initially pursued alternative treatments before undergoing surgery and other therapies. He passed away in 2011, even after receiving a combined liver and pancreas transplant.
This was an individual who, like other prominent people struck with this disease, had all the necessary resources to access the best available treatment but ultimately still succumbed to it.
Other victims include Aretha Franklin (1942–2018), the Queen of Soul and legendary singer known for hits like “Respect” and “Natural Woman.”
She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2010. She kept her condition private and continued performing until her health declined. She passed away in 2018.
The same is true for Randy Pausch (1960–2008), the computer science professor and author who gained widespread recognition for his “Last Lecture” delivered after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
His inspirational talk and subsequent book focused on achieving childhood dreams and living life fully. He passed away in 2008.
Actor Michael Landon (1936–1991), who was also a writer and director known for his roles in Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza, was similarly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1991. He passed away just months after his diagnosis.
The same also applies to Luciano Pavarotti (1935–2007), one of the most famous opera singers of all time, known for his performances as an operatic tenor. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2006. He underwent surgery and treatment but passed away in 2007.
Another victim was Patrick Swayze (1952–2009), actor and dancer best known for his roles in Dirty Dancing and Ghost. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008. He underwent chemotherapy and continued working during his treatment but succumbed to the disease in 2009.
Yet another victim of significant stature was John Lewis (1940–2020), the longtime U.S. Congressman and civil rights icon, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2020 after futile efforts were made to treat him.
Lewis was a key figure in the American civil rights movement, known for his leadership in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches and his lifelong dedication to justice and equality.
He served as a U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in July 2020. Lewis was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in December 2019. Despite his diagnosis, he continued to serve and inspire others until his passing. His death brought further attention to the challenges of pancreatic cancer and the need for improved research and treatment options.
And yet, there are many more. One notable example is Joan Crawford (1904–1977), the iconic Hollywood star and actress known for films like Mildred Pierce and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1977.
Then there was Bill Hicks (1961–1994), the renowned comedian and social critic known for his sharp wit and controversial humour. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1993 and passed away in 1994.
And what about Sally Ride (1951–2012)? She was the first American woman in space and a physicist of note, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2011. She passed away in 2012.
Lastly, there was Alan Rickman (1946–2016), a prominent actor best known for his roles as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films and Hans Gruber in Die Hard. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015 and passed away in 2016.
Their stories matter because the deaths of these well-known individuals underscore the devastating impact of pancreatic cancer. Their legacies continue to inspire efforts to combat this challenging disease. Despite their resources, access to top medical care, and public platforms, they were unable to overcome the disease—highlighting the urgent need for early detection methods designed to catch the disease at a treatable stage. With earlier diagnosis and, hopefully, better treatments available, it should be possible to improve survival rates and quality of life. The loss of these prominent people, mostly from open societies where health information is not withheld, should hopefully lead to increased awareness about the disease and a higher index of suspicion regarding its presence.
Such research has led to novel diagnostic tools, including urine tests that could one day detect this condition early.
The key reason why it was necessary to devote this much space to this insidious disease condition—which leads to death rapidly from the time of diagnosis—is because of recent experiences. About three months ago, there was a phone call from a reader at about 2 a.m., asking for direction on what to do regarding a 54-year-old sibling who had just been diagnosed with the disease the previous evening. The immediate reason why a hospital visit became necessary was persistent abdominal pain that extended to the upper back and became concerning when it was associated with weight loss. The factors that increased their level of panic were the fact that the doctors were not communicating with the family and seemed to be hiding behind an official façade, claiming they wanted to confirm the diagnosis first.
By the time the diagnosis was confirmed a week later, following further imaging studies and an endoscopic evaluation, the tumour was found to have spread to the liver, the lymph nodes around the abdominal aorta, and the lungs. This is now an advanced disease, which was also found to have completely encircled the vessels supplying at least one-third of the small intestine, all of the large intestine except the rectum, the pancreas, and the mesentery which surrounds them.
These are known as the superior mesenteric artery and vein. These are very important blood vessels that supply nutrients to the aforementioned parts of the intestinal tract. They branch off the largest blood vessel in the body, the aorta, which means that when their integrity is compromised in this manner, there is no hope of performing an operation to remove the cancerous growth.
Other similarly ill people come to mind. One was a middle-aged woman whose sad fate it was to suddenly develop jaundice with such an intense degree of itching that sleeping became impossible. There was no antihistamine preparation that was not tried, but nothing worked. She had a sponge which she used at night to scratch her body because a comb she previously used had created so many small wounds. From the time the diagnosis was made until she passed away, it took just six weeks.
Another was a 24-year-old graduate who had just completed youth service and was awoken in the night with what she thought was diarrhoea. However, it was blood pouring out of her anus like water from a tap. Almost immediately, she also began to vomit blood. After two such episodes, she was rushed to a teaching hospital, where the priority became to keep her alive. Over the following three to four days, she received about 28 pints of blood. With a combination of Omeprazole infusion and other medications, the blood loss reduced. She became stable enough to commence the relevant investigations. The head of her pancreas was found to be abnormal.
This was a profound issue that necessitated a visit to the operating theatre, where she underwent an 11-hour operation to remove the tumour and reconnect the other parts of the organ. This happened in 2001, and she is still alive today—24 years later. A meaningful biopsy was obtained, which further confirmed the diagnosis. Her principal stroke of luck was the fact that she was ill enough to present as an emergency at a hospital where an early diagnosis was possible.
Another man, who was about 60 years old at the time the diagnosis was suspected—but not confirmed because he died before that could be done—was actually a long-time acquaintance. He had reported early enough to a hospital, where peptic ulcer disease was diagnosed. For two years or more, he was given different anti-ulcer preparations, including proton pump inhibitors like Omeprazole and Rabeprazole. Towards the end, the pain became intractable, and his rate of weight loss was unbelievable. That was when yours truly became aware, and a handful of his friends put some money together to ensure he was properly investigated. A couple of days before his diagnostic centre appointment, he lapsed into a coma and was taken to a hospital. He died a few days later.
There was also a 65-year-old man I recall, who was known to have had the disease based on a confirmed diagnosis. He lived for just three weeks from the time of diagnosis until the end of his life. At that point, he was unable to tolerate even drinking water—he vomited everything.
Questions and answers
If a medical doctor makes a mistake, a human life is lost — something doctors are always involved in. Anyway, my complaint today is about the huge amount of money that patients have to pay for things like dialysis. In my late dad’s case, he spent so much money on stroke-related complications, and we sold his land, cars, and many other things just to raise enough money to pay for his treatment. Yet, he still died. 08063871***
Thank you very much for your contribution. Most of the time, doctors are careful and they check one another. It is a sad reality in our country that whenever anyone is sick, they must pay out of pocket for their medical care.
Just a couple of hours ago, another reader shared with us a specific challenge he’s facing, whereby he was given a bill of N1.5m to undergo an operation to repair an internal hernia at a Federal Medical Centre.
He is a National Health Insurance Scheme enrollee, who laments that his pending surgery is not covered. Now, he is a civil servant who earns less than 10 per cent of that amount. How is it possible for him to pay that bill without being corrupt? These are urgent issues confronting our country. And when you actually want to see the effects of poverty among Nigerians, go to a public hospital.
Good day, doctor. Thanks for the help you offer to us weekly. God bless you, sir… Please, how do I stop my grandpa from smoking? He’s 82 years old and still smokes cigarettes heavily without any sign of sickness at all. He sleeps, eats, and climbs stairs effortlessly, but I hate the odour and smell from the smoke. What can I do to stop him from smoking, please? Thanks very much… I live in Ogun State. 08051476***
Good evening. Thank you for keeping a date with us every week. Well, at 82 years, there’s nothing to gain by trying to stop him. Firstly, you are unlikely to succeed, judging by how much he smokes.
Secondly, disease does not always play by the rules. There are many people who never smoked or drank alcohol who are battling severe ailments at a much younger age, including cancer. So, for your grandpa, there’s likely to be more harm than good if you forcibly try to stop him from smoking.
You also have to consider his life expectancy, which he has clearly exceeded by a good margin. Lastly, if your personal problem with his habit is the smell of tobacco, it should be easy to deal with that. He can go into a secluded part of the house to smoke, or do so while enjoying the gentle breeze from your balcony, if you have one. Even if you don’t have a balcony, you probably understand what I mean.
Good evening, doctor. I am currently about 20 weeks pregnant. This is my second pregnancy. My first daughter is about 30 months old (two and a half years), and I am constantly having headaches.
I actually think it is a bit worse than before. I registered for antenatal care since I was about 10 weeks pregnant, and my blood pressure has been normal at every hospital visit between then and now. I also check it at home and this morning, it was 102/92mmHg. What is the likely cause of this, and what should be done? I asked at the hospital and I was told to ensure that I sleep well enough. To be sincere, I don’t have any problems with sleeping. I need your help, please. 09168189***
Good day to you. Most of the time, a doctor would be reluctant to give you any medication for this kind of problem other than paracetamol. The reason is that the causes of this sort of headache are fairly well known.
Pregnancy leads to changes in hormonal balance, such that changes in oestrogen and progesterone levels cause the blood vessels to relax and allow headaches to occur. This can also result from the increase in blood volume in a pregnant woman, with the effect that headaches may result.
Pregnancy is stressful at any time and rarely permits a woman to have good quality sleep. All these factors are often present and contribute to the headache. Therefore, all you should take, considering what you have disclosed, is paracetamol. Stronger analgesics like the typical NSAIDs can disrupt the development of the heart’s valves in your baby and cause a range of heart problems.
Lastly, your diastolic pressure of 92mmHg is not that innocent. It needs further observation.
Please sir, good morning to you. The results I will forward to you on your WhatsApp belong to my neighbour who is 56 years old. She developed jaundice about three weeks ago, and we thought it was malaria because she was running a serious temperature. She got malaria treatment, but the fever continued, although it gradually reduced after she took chloroquine and more paracetamol with ibuprofen. But the jaundice became deeper, and she started to experience itching all over her body. So, I am a nurse, and I advised her to do an abdominal scan, which she did, before the doctor advised her to do a CT (abdomen). Both reports are there. They recommended another test. I don’t know which one, please. What do we do? 08062766***
Thank you very much for your detailed history and question. To be brief, this looks like gallbladder cancer called cholangiocarcinoma that has already spread to the liver. That makes the overall outlook much worse. The report is recommending a Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography examination, which is a way to introduce contrast material into the person so that the bile ducts, gallbladder, and pancreatic duct can be viewed in detail using MRI.
This will help in evaluating the severity of her condition and in mapping out a method of treatment. Unfortunately, there can be no hope of a cure for this; it is already too advanced.
Dear doctor, good day to you. I am a 59-year-old woman and I have suffered from pains in my lower back for more than 15 years. I attribute the pain to the three times I was given spinal anaesthesia for my caesarean sections.
The first time, the doctors inserted the needle into my back up to four times. When the pain starts, I am usually miserable because the area feels like it’s being hit with a hammer. I have been to the orthopaedic hospital here in Lagos and also to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where x-rays and other tests were done. Now, they have told me that I need to do an MRI of the spine to take my investigations forward. I am so confused. What should I do? 08028261***
There is no reason for you to be confused about your current situation because, between the orthopaedic hospital and LUTH, you have access to the best set of doctors available to manage your condition.
It is important that you follow their instructions because, while you link the onset of this pain to your unhappy experience with spinal anaesthesia, the cause of the pain could be something else. That other possibility needs to be identified so that you can receive the appropriate treatment your back requires.
Good morning, doctor. The handling of human lives is not a tea party. I cannot be a doctor or a soldier, so kudos to you. Why can’t some doctors handle caesarean sections in women? I just heard that two medical doctors were performing a caesarean section on a woman at a hospital in Owerri, were watching the procedure on YouTube and repeating the steps on the pregnant woman. In the end, the woman died, together with her baby.
08063671***
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with this story and I am unable to comment on it. However, the Nigerian medical school curriculum produces doctors who are all-rounders with sufficient basic medical and surgical skills.
So, your contribution is a strange one. At any rate, whether in medical school or the army, individuals should focus on their core competencies to deliver consistently robust performances. For example, a soldier skilled in armoured warfare cannot suddenly switch roles and become a paratrooper. Without the requisite training, he would get killed very quickly. In the same way, a cardiologist cannot suddenly decide to perform open-heart surgery on a patient because the training in either case is vastly different. It would end in disaster.
Good day, Sunday doctor. I have an eight-year-old son who has a small lump on one side of his neck. It is painful, and we treated it with Brustan-N and some multivitamins, but it is still there. A week ago, we took him to a Federal Medical Centre near us, but we could not see the doctor on duty because we were told he was the only one available.
I will send you a picture of the swelling, which I took earlier, because right now, he is outside playing football. 07040667***
This swelling is visible just at the angle of the jaw and is most likely an enlarged lymph node. If it is painful, it probably indicates that it has trapped a significant number of bacteria, as lymph nodes are a first line of defence against microbes in the body.
This is likely a consequence of a recent upper respiratory tract infection or an infection around the mouth. Whatever the underlying cause, however, he will need to be given an appropriate antibiotic; otherwise, the pain will not go away.