My Dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. How will he die? Does anyone know the progression of the disease?

I swear, I have searched every website but all I get is statistics, facts and figures. I just need to know how it is going to happen. Is it heart related? Does he just go to sleep? Is it painful? Will it be scary and aweful for him or us?

I don鈥檛 mean to sound cold or uncaring, but you asked a question so I will address it as best I can.

I am a cancer registrar, I stage and report cancer for the hospitals I work for. This requires I review the case from the patients symptoms and in many cases till their deaths. In most cases when the end is near the family is notified and patient is putt on comfort measures only. They are given medications to make it as painless as possible and they are monitored closely. The nurses are trained to look for signs of pain as often the patient cannot tell them and the medication is adjusted accordingly.

I do not see many patients with pancreatic cancer in a lot of pain. As the disease progresses you will see a change in their coloring, a loss of appetite, weight loss, some confusion and they are tired a lot. Many of them die in their sleep.

If the doctor should discuss hospice with you I urge you to take it. These are truly wonderful people and far more qualified to answer your question than I am.

I believe death is harder on the people left behind than it is on the person who dies. Death is a natural part of life and I think there is something in us that kicks in during that time, just like it does shortly before you have a baby.

I hope this helps you a little.

you should not ask questions that morbid....
if you want to talk i guess i can fill you in, email me.

Hi Kim, my grandpa died from pancreas cancer long time ago. You are extremely worried and sad, and I can understand that. But what makes you think that there is not one little chance that he can live longer?. Please go to the page:
http://www.cancer.gov/search/ResultsClin...
and find there a list of clinical trial that have been done respect to pancreas cancer, perhaps is possible to enroll your dad in one of them.
I think is bad torturing yourself with such details, one suffer with any kind of death painful or not. And today the medicine is more advanced and doctors will prescribe him the drugs to alleviate the pain, so it may be how you say that he will just go to sleep.
There is a page that can be good you read:
http://www.essortment.com/cancerpancreas...

Your best bet is to talk to your Cancer doctor they will be able to answer any questions you might have, and also its a good idea not to give in to the negativity. There is also a chance they will remove his pancreas or use something else, so hang in there. For positive stuff goto http://www.positivecancer.com

My father have had cancer too, and its frightning!!!
Don't research on statistics.
Try to put him in a good diet full of vegetables, it will help.
He also can try Triphala, a supplement that have anticancer activity.

Best whishes

I'm not sure about pancreatic cancer, but my Mum was diagnosed last may with stage 4 inoperable kidney cancer that met. to the liver and lung. It was very aggressive she pasted away Sept 7 aged 60. Mum went down hill very quickly, she had some pain but not very often. As the illness progressed Mum couldn't walk long distances she was unsteady on her feat and lost control of her bowels and bladder. She lost her appetite and rarely ate and lost a lot of weight because of it. About two months before she pasted she was bed ridden. It is scary and awful but you WILL find inner straight to deal with what comes your way. You have to you have no choice. Me and my sister where mums full time carers and what we saw was horrendous, Mum went to palliative care for 2 weeks then came home for her final days. It was terrible, mum was in a 'coma' by this stage she couldn't talk and if she did you could understand her. It was not peaceful. Mum went in to terminal restlessness every time she breathed she screamed when she exhaled. She was on all the appropriated pain medications so she wasn't in pain i think it was just her body fighting cos she didn't want to leave. Everyone is different thou, i wish you all the best. xx