A Pancreatic Cancer Survivor’s Journey to Personalized Treatment and Hope

“I Never Thought It Was Pancreatic Cancer”

Fourteen years ago, Sharon walked into her internist’s office convinced she was dealing with a digestive issue — not pancreatic cancer. She had extreme fatigue, persistent epigastric pain that wasn’t improving with reflux medication and rapid weight loss of nearly a pound a day. Her digestion had also noticeably changed.

“I just didn’t know what was going on,” Sharon recalled. “But I did not think it was pancreatic cancer.”

Fortunately, her physician quickly recognized that something serious could be happening. Sharon was immediately sent for an abdominal ultrasound, which showed a dilated bile duct. A CT scan and MRI followed in rapid succession, and soon after, she met with a surgeon she trusted.

The diagnosis was pancreatic cancer.

At the time, Sharon already knew she carried a BRCA mutation because of her family history. Ten years earlier, she had undergone genetic testing and preventive surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes after learning she was at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancers. But she never connected that mutation to pancreatic cancer.

“I thought I was home free,” she said.

Facing a Dire Prognosis After Surgery

Sharon enrolled in a proton beam radiation study before undergoing a Whipple procedure, hoping the surgery would eliminate the cancer. Initially, she felt optimistic.

That changed during her postoperative visit.

Her pathology report revealed adenocarcinoma with multiple positive lymph nodes, and her surgeon warned her that the prognosis was poor.

“I really didn’t know what to do at that point,” Sharon said.

One thing she did know was that she did not want standard chemotherapy. Years earlier, she had watched her father endure severe side effects from cancer treatment, and the experience left a lasting impression.

That uncertainty led Sharon to turn to her brother, who had devoted his career to cancer drug development and research.

“I said, ‘Arnie, can you help me out?’” she recalled. “‘I want a complete cure, I want no side effects and I need it in six weeks.’”

Choosing a Personalized Treatment Path

Unknown to Sharon, her brother had already been working around the clock since her diagnosis. He believed her cancer was connected to her BRCA mutation and began developing a treatment strategy specifically tailored to that biology.

The approach was controversial.

Some researchers told him they thought it was an excellent idea. Others warned he was “trying to kill your sister,” Sharon said.

Still, Sharon carefully weighed her options.

“When I looked at my options of maybe a 4% survival for two years, I just said, ‘Well, I’m going to go for it,’ because it seemed to make a lot of sense.”

Her surgeon strongly encouraged her to pursue chemotherapy of some kind, even if it wasn’t the standard approach.

“He made me promise that I would have it,” Sharon said.

Ultimately, she decided to move forward with the personalized treatment her brother proposed — a decision she believes saved her life.

Why Patients Should Explore Their Options

Looking back, Sharon said she wants patients with pancreatic cancer to understand the importance of learning about all available treatment options, including clinical trials.

“When I received that diagnosis, I just thought, ‘Well, game over,’” she said. “I really didn’t see how I was going to get out of this one.”

She acknowledged that pursuing a clinical trial can feel overwhelming because outcomes are uncertain by definition.

“When you do a clinical trial, you don’t know what the outcome will be,” Sharon explained. “You hope the outcome is going to be in your favor.”

At the same time, she believes patients benefit from understanding their prognosis, evaluating their personal comfort with risk and seeking out experts who can help guide them through the decision-making process.

She also noted that finding clinical trials was significantly harder 14 years ago, before the expansion of online resources and trial databases that exist today.

Inspiring the “Sharon Trial”

The treatment Sharon underwent ultimately inspired further research and helped launch what became known as the “Sharon trial.”

Reflecting on that experience still feels surreal to her.

“I remember when I was about to get my first infusion, I said to my husband, ‘Well, maybe someday I’ll be the poster child for this,’” Sharon said with a laugh.

At the time, she had no idea whether the treatment would work. She only hoped it would offer her — and eventually other patients with BRCA-related pancreatic cancer — a chance at survival.

Now, years later, Sharon said it is “absolutely incredible” to see research and innovation continue growing from her personal experience.

Learning to See Herself as a Survivor

Although Sharon is now 14 years out from her diagnosis, she said it took time before she truly considered herself a survivor.

For years, each scan brought anxiety.

“It was very challenging about two weeks before each scan,” she said.

Everything changed at the five-year mark when her doctor told her she was cured.

“I actually made him repeat that, and I videoed it,” Sharon recalled. “He said, ‘You are cured. You are not going to get this cancer again.’”

That moment allowed her to finally exhale and begin fully embracing life again.

Since then, Sharon has witnessed four graduations, celebrated two marriages and welcomed two grandchildren, with another on the way. She also saw her mother turn 90 and continued building a life and career alongside her husband.

“My motto is, ‘I’m so happy to be alive,’” Sharon said. “And I say that every day to myself.”

The Importance of Genetic Testing and Advocacy

Today, Sharon strongly encourages people to learn their family history and consider genetic counseling or testing, particularly if multiple relatives have experienced cancer diagnoses at younger ages.

“If you look and you see that there’s a cluster of people that have died at an early age from a particular cancer, then the light bulb should go off,” she said.

Even for people who do not know their family history, Sharon believes genetic testing can provide valuable information that allows patients to pursue preventive surgeries, enhanced surveillance or earlier screening.

“It doesn’t mean just because someone has the mutation that they’re going to get cancer,” she explained. “But at least they can surveil and be on the alert.”

She also emphasized the importance of working with physicians who understand hereditary cancer risks and can help patients identify tailored treatment opportunities or clinical trials.

“Take Care of the Some of You, Not Just Some of You”

As Sharon reflected on her journey, she stressed that cancer care extends far beyond surgery, chemotherapy or scans.

Her husband often reminds her: “You need to take care of the some of you, not just some of you.”

For Sharon, that philosophy means addressing the whole person — mental health, spirituality, nutrition, exercise and emotional support alongside medical treatment.

She encourages patients to lean on family, community and advocacy organizations whenever possible, while also exploring mindfulness practices, meditation or gentle exercise such as yoga to support overall well-being during treatment.

“I think it’s important to look at yourself as a whole, not just as a pancreatic cancer patient,” Sharon said.

And after 14 years of survivorship, she hopes her story reminds others that even one of the most feared cancer diagnoses can still leave room for hope.

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