What began as severe GI issues for Nick Pifani led to a diagnosis of Stage III pancreatic cancer.  The tumor surrounded the superior mesenteric artery, ruling out surgery as an option.  Instead, doctors went with folfirinox, an aggressive form of chemotherapy.  When that didn’t help much, he went on radiation treatment.  It moved the tumor far enough away from the artery that surgery could be safely done.  A competitive runner, Nick addressed his cancer journey like a difficult race.  He eventually returned to work, resumed running and re-learned his old dietary habits.  He shares his story with the @CancerInterviews podcast.

 

In January 2017, Nick Pifani of Delran, New Jersey began feeling a lot of GI distress.  Things got so bad he ended up in an emergency room.  His health worsened when he began eating less, sleeping less and had extreme back pain.  That brought on a second trip to the ER.  They thought there might be something wrong with his gall bladder, but an ultrasound indicated the gall bladder was fine.  Next was a CT scan that revealed a sizeable mass on Nick’s pancreas.

 

To learn more, Nick’s family doctor ordered an MRI.  Several hours later, doctors called him to confirm he had Stage III pancreatic cancer.  He was next hit with the news that his cancer was inoperable be it surrounded the superior mesenteric artery and vein, making surgery impossible.  Instead, doctors opted for an aggressive form of chemotherapy called folfirinox. 

 

Nick Pifani experienced the symptoms one associates with chemotherapy.  They included fatigue, the metallic taste of food and cognitive issues.  Not only did the chemo take a toll, but it did little to attack the tumors on his pancreas.  So, his care team switched to a regimen of radiation treatment.  It helped, but it took one more step to position Nick for surgery.

 

Through a Whipple procedure, known specifically as a Pylorus Preserving Whipple procedure, to remove the tumors, they took out his gall bladder and a third of his pancreas.  They also removed the proximal jejunum, which connects the pancreas and the small intestines.

 

The final step was the surgery itself, which was a success, which thrilled Nick Pifani, knowing that at one point his cancer was determined to be inoperable.  He was in a great deal of pain, but went through physical therapy.  As he did that, he learned how to eat the foods he had to give up during chemotherapy.  Eventually, he could run again, and he began to approach the competitive level he maintained prior to his diagnosis. 

 

By way of advice, Nick Pifani says it is important to know your body, and if diagnosed, to know the symptoms.  His knowledge of the symptoms led to early detection, which in his mind, made the difference between his being diagnosed as Stage III and not Stage IV.

 

Additional Resources:

 

Support Group:

 

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN): https://www.pancan.org