{"id":80980,"date":"2025-09-08T14:16:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T20:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=80980"},"modified":"2025-09-08T15:31:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T21:31:16","slug":"slow-but-steady-progress-improves-pancreatic-cancer-survival-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/slow-but-steady-progress-improves-pancreatic-cancer-survival-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"Providers make slow but steady progress to improve pancreatic cancer survival rates"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Keith
Keith Stechmesser entertains his granddaughter, Penny. Progress in pancreatic cancer treatment has nearly doubled survival rates. Recent advancements may have saved Keith’s life. Photo courtesy of Keith Stechmesser.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A decade ago, the five-year survival rate<\/a> for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was a dismal 7%. Today that rate is nearly double<\/a>, at 13%, but statistics temper that good news.<\/p>\n

The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer still places last<\/a> among 16 different cancers. And while pancreatic cancer was not among the leaders in new cancer cases in 2024, it was the third-leading cause of cancer deaths<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Despite those somber numbers, there are glimmers of hope, said Dr. Richard Schulick<\/a>, chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine<\/a> and director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center<\/a>. Schulick noted that the 13% five-year survival rate represents \u201call comers\u201d with the disease, including the very large number whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body, making it inoperable.<\/p>\n

Among those whose cancer has not spread, the five-year survival rate is 44%, according to the American Cancer Society<\/a>. That\u2019s an improvement of about 10 percentage points from a decade ago, based on statistics from the National Cancer Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pancreatic cancer: A formidable foe<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"University
University of Colorado Cancer Center Director Dr. Richard Schulick performed lifesaving pancreatic cancer surgery on Keith Stechmesser in 2018. Photo by the University of Colorado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still, pancreatic cancer<\/a> remains notoriously difficult to treat, as it often progresses without people noticing symptoms. Its location<\/a> deep in the body, surrounded by other organs, makes it a challenging surgical target.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an organ that is in there deep, and you don\u2019t really have symptoms until it\u2019s more advanced, or if it blocks the bile duct,\u201d Schulick said.<\/p>\n

At that point, a person might have jaundice or digestive problems and see a physician for a fortunate early catch. A small percentage of people have a hereditary risk<\/a> of pancreatic cancer; individuals who know and report that to their providers can benefit from surveillance, he added. Similarly, providers might pick up a pancreatic cyst with imaging before it becomes cancerous.<\/p>\n

In general, though, most pancreatic cancer patients are not diagnosed until their disease is at stage IV<\/a>. Even so, modern medicine is slowly gaining ground on this tough opponent, Schulick said.<\/p>\n

Chemotherapy makes progress against pancreatic cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One key advance is improved chemotherapy<\/a>, delivered before surgery<\/a>. This type of chemotherapy improves the chances of arresting tumor growth and halting the spread of cancer cells beyond the pancreas. When that treatment succeeds, surgeons can attempt to remove the tumor.<\/p>\n

\u201cChemotherapy is getting so much better, and I think that contributes hugely to these increased survival rates,\u201d Schulick said.<\/p>\n

For example, Schulick and Dr. Marco Del Chiaro<\/a>,\u00a0chief of Surgical Oncology<\/a>\u00a0and director of the\u00a0Hepatopancreatobiliary Program<\/a>\u00a0at the\u00a0University of Colorado School of Medicine<\/a>, were among the co-authors of a recent study<\/a> that investigated using chemotherapy before surgery for pancreatic adenocarcinoma \u2013 the most common type of pancreatic cancer.<\/p>\n

Patients had their tumors removed following chemotherapy. Nearly 5% of the patients had a \u201cpathological complete response\u201d (pCR), meaning tissue removed after the surgery had no detectable cancer cells. The authors cautioned that a pCR finding does not mean a cure, but added that those patients had an \u201coverall survival\u201d rate at five years that doubled those of others in the trial (63% to 30%).<\/p>\n

Biology offers guidance in treating pancreatic cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Del Chiaro added that many providers today judge the success of chemotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer less by anatomy \u2013 whether a tumor has grown or not \u2013 and more by biology. For example, chemotherapy may not shrink a tumor, but if it doesn\u2019t grow, that is a good sign for surgery.<\/p>\n

In addition, providers may see signs of cancer only in the pancreas when, in fact, cancer cells may have spread undetected throughout the body, thus thwarting surgical success. But biology may provide a more reliable indicator, Del Chiaro said.\u00a0A majority of pancreas cancer patients express a tumor biomarker called\u00a0CA19-9,<\/a> which is one key to detecting the disease.<\/span>\u00a0A patient with a declining CA19-9 level could be a good candidate for surgery, even if the tumor in the pancreas has complicated involvement with surrounding blood vessels, he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cMuch more powerful chemotherapy weapons have allowed us to do more extensive surgery,\u201d Del Chiaro said.<\/p>\n

Advances in surgery for pancreatic cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Indeed, as chemotherapy treatments have advanced, so, too, have surgical techniques, particularly at institutions that specialize in treating pancreatic cancer. Tumors that might be deemed inoperable can, in fact, be removed in some cases, Schulick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are much better able to take pieces of blood vessels \u2013 veins and arteries \u2013 and reconstruct them,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we\u2019ve gotten much more aggressive in taking patients to the operating room and resecting tumors that previously were deemed unresectable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many minds improve success in treating pancreatic cancer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Both Schulick and Del Chiaro also emphasized the importance of the UCHealth Pancreas and Biliary Center \u2013 Anschutz Medical Campus<\/a>, which provides multidisciplinary care to all patients. The model includes not only a full range of diagnostic procedures and treatments \u2013 surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and combinations of the three \u2013 but also support from other medical specialists, nurses, dietitians, social workers and support staff.<\/p>\n

A patient referred to the center gets a one-day complete assessment of their case, including reviews of their medical history, imaging scans, and blood tests. A team of medical specialists convenes to discuss the case and devise a recommended treatment plan. The patient then meets with the appropriate providers for an explanation of what the treatment will entail.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn one day, you get all the assessments you need and go home with a plan,\u201d Del Chiaro said.<\/p>\n

Schulick noted that \u201ctop cancer centers\u201d have visited the Anschutz Medical Campus to observe the multidisciplinary approach developed at the Pancreas and Biliary Center. He credits its success to a significant commitment of resources, attention to detail and an emphasis on serving the individual needs of each patient.<\/p>\n

\u201cDone to the degree that we do, multidisciplinary care is a rarity,\u201d he said. \u201cOther centers want to learn from us.\u201d<\/p>\n

A rugged path to recovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Keith Stechmesser received care through the Pancreas and Biliary Center as part of a long struggle with pancreatic cancer. His experience illustrates many of the challenges of the disease that Schulick and Del Chiaro describe \u2013 and why battling it so often ends in defeat. At the same time, Stechmesser offers a beacon of hope for others engaged in the fight.<\/p>\n

\"Keith
Keith and Cindy with daughters Alaina Wallace (holding Penny) and Kaitlyn Stechmesser. Photo courtesy of Keith Stechmesser.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stechmesser, now 70, moved to Colorado from the Milwaukee area in 1979. He taught music for 11 years, earned an MBA from the University of Denver in the late 1980s, married and raised two daughters with his wife, Cindy, in Lakewood. After leaving teaching, he built a successful career in financial services that he continues to this day.<\/p>\n

Other than a benign cyst on his kidney, Stechmesser enjoyed good health for the first 61 years of his life. That changed with what he calls \u201ca seminal event\u201d on Friday of Labor Day weekend in 2016. By Sunday, severe back pain around his kidneys sent him to the emergency department at a hospital near his home. Along with some medication for his back pain came some troubling news: providers had seen a spot on his pancreas that needed immediate attention.<\/p>\n

That was an unpleasant surprise for Stechmesser, who said until then he \u201chad no awareness\u201d of pancreatic cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had symptoms consistent with being 61 years old,\u201d he said. \u201cI needed to watch my diet, work out and take off weight.\u201d<\/p>\n

In retrospect, however, he recalled a ski trip on Veterans Day 2015 that saddled him with pain in the same area. The discomfort resolved quickly, but he now suspects that it could have been an early sign of the cancer.<\/p>\n

Biopsy delivers bad news<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A biopsy confirmed that bad news in October 2016. He went in for surgery in December but awoke to the news from his surgeon that a look into his belly cavity with endoscopy had shown that the cancer had spread outside the pancreas. That discovery scrapped the surgery and Stechmesser instead began chemotherapy treatments every two weeks for six months.<\/p>\n

After completing his chemotherapy in the summer of 2017, Stechmesser got new scans and tests that gave him hope that a second surgery could remove the cancer from his pancreas. He was disappointed again. This time the operation proceeded, but his surgeon found cancer in the first part of the small intestine. Unsure he could get it all, his surgeon halted the procedure.<\/p>\n

Stechmesser responded to the setback with a simple question: \u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d The answer was a four-week daily regimen of radiation in July 2017, not to cure the cancer but \u201cto prolong my life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

After finishing the radiation, Stechmesser sat down with his oncologist, who laid out three choices: do nothing, undergo chemotherapy once a month for \u201cmaintenance\u201d of his disease or go to UCHealth for a multidisciplinary review of his case.<\/p>\n

\"Keith
Keith Stechmesser, a pancreatic cancer survivor, who received lifesaving care at UCHealth, enjoys a Denver Nuggets game with wife Cindy. Photo courtesy of Keith Stechmesser.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A review and renewed hope<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Stechmesser opted for choice number three and completed the review of his case in October 2017. The specialists at the Pancreas and Biliary Center concluded that Stechmesser had received appropriate care for his cancer, but presented a possible new path: a then-experimental procedure to deliver chemotherapy drugs through a catheter directly to the tumor in his pancreas. Deciding to \u201cturn the page,\u201d Stechmesser agreed to the treatments at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> in December 2017 and completed a series at two-week intervals.<\/p>\n

In June 2018, Stechmesser met with Schulick and finally got some good news. The new chemotherapy procedure, in combination with the chemotherapy he had previously received, had made him a candidate for another attempt at surgery.<\/p>\n

This time there was no disappointment. In July, Schulick removed a tumor from the tail of Stechmesser\u2019s pancreas and also removed his spleen. After the lengthy procedure, he delivered to Stechmesser and Cindy a profound message, packaged in a mere three words.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got it,\u201d Schulick said.<\/p>\n

Return to health and a commitment to service<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By the beginning of 2019, Stechmesser returned to work, \u201cprobably too soon,\u201d he admits. But he steadily recovered, got back on the slopes for eight days that year, continues to ski and describes his appetite as \u201ctoo good.\u201d As of his last return visit for tests in October 2024, his pancreatic cancer has been banished.<\/p>\n

\"Nearly
Nearly a decade after his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Keith still hits the slopes. Photo courtesy of Keith Stechmesser.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The experience launched him into another career of sorts \u2013 as a volunteer and advocate for pancreatic cancer research and care. In 2019, he was looking for support groups for pancreatic cancer survivors and found the nonprofit, national advocacy organization the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network<\/a> (PanCAN). He took part in a visit that year by the organization to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and raise their awareness of the need for more resources to fight pancreatic cancer.<\/p>\n

Today, Stechmesser is the chair of the Colorado affiliate of PanCAN<\/a>. He takes calls on a regular basis from patients and caregivers to answer questions and share his experiences and is a dedicated participant in PanCan\u2019s annual PurpleStride<\/a> fundraising walk.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe acquire soapboxes in life that we didn\u2019t necessarily plan to acquire,\u201d Stechmesser said of his advocacy work. With increased awareness of pancreatic cancer and investment in discovering new treatments \u2013 several clinical trials of new approaches are underway \u2013 he believes more lives can be saved.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019d been diagnosed two or three years earlier, I probably wouldn\u2019t be alive,\u201d Stechmesser said. He calls UCHealth \u201cthe difference maker\u201d in what often seemed like an unlikely path to recovery.<\/p>\n

For his part, Schulick credits Stechmesser for taking an active role in his own care.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the perfect patient who understood the pros and cons of what I was proposing,\u201d Schulick said. \u201cHe made excellent decisions and was also informed by his own research on his condition. He had the greatest attitude and I think that really helped him through this process.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A decade ago, the five-year survival rate for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer was a dismal 7%. Today that rate is nearly double, at 13%, but statistics temper that good news. The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer still places last among 16 different cancers. 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