William "Bill" Lester

Patient diagnosed with pancreatic cancer survives with advanced medical treatment

William “Bill” Lester is an overall healthy man. He is a devoted husband, a loving father, and a loyal friend to many. He enjoys spending quality time with family and friends. He stays active on his lake boat and loves cycling during his free time. Though an odd and discomforting feeling in his upper abdomen had Bill feeling strange one weekend, it wasn’t until his wife and daughter noticed the yellowing of his skin that he became concerned something might be wrong.

Bill underwent a series of diagnostic imaging where a mass was detected in the head of the pancreas. Further evaluation was indicated and thus referred to Dr. Alejandro Pruitt, advanced gastroenterology with Methodist Hospital. Dr. Pruitt performed an endoscopic ultrasound with a biopsy to determine if the mass was malignant. Dr. Pruitt also completed an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) where a stent was placed in his bile duct to palliate the obstruction caused by the mass (the reason his skin was yellow).

Dr. Steven Abbate, a high-volume surgical oncologist with Methodist Hospital, met with Bill in consultation. Bill and his family were given the heartbreaking diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. However, his doctors were hopeful as his diagnostic workup revealed an early staged tumor. In most cases, identifying early-stage pancreatic cancer is quite challenging as patients may not experience any symptoms until tumor spread has occurred.

In collaboration with Bill’s medical oncologist, Dr. Ronald Drengler, his team formulated a treatment plan. Bill initiated systemic chemotherapy. Bill remembers the entire process of treatment moving rapidly. “I didn’t have time to worry about my diagnosis; they just took care of me in such a quick manner. They kept moving forward with everything, and I knew I was in good hands and being taken care of. It was scary, but I felt I needed to take each challenge day by day.”

After undergoing six chemotherapy treatments, Dr. Abbate performed a pancreaticoduodenectomy, more commonly known as a Whipple operation. This is a complex surgery to remove the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gallbladder, a portion of the bile duct, and surrounding lymph nodes. The Whipple procedure has many associated risks and complications. Therefore, it is recommended that pancreatic resections be performed by a high-volume surgeon at a high-volume facility, like Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Abbate emphasized that the treatment of pancreatic cancer requires a multidisciplinary and multimodal approach. “We have a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment algorithm to standardize comprehensive pretreatment staging along with the multimodal therapy of pancreatic cancer,” stated Dr. Abbate. “Mr. Lester was successfully treated with preoperative chemotherapy followed by a Whipple operation. Following surgical recuperation, he completed his treatment with a course of postoperative chemotherapy.”

Aside from very selected high-risk patient populations, there is not a national pancreatic cancer screening program to help early detection. While a small percentage of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer have a genetic predisposition, a majority of patients do not have a clear identifiable risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer. Accordingly, pancreatic cancer is developed after patients develop symptoms. The most common presenting symptoms include jaundice, abdominal pain, back pain, or weight loss.

“At the time of diagnosis, Mr. Lester was in excellent health without significant medical comorbid conditions. As his tumor was located close to his bile duct he presented at an earlier stage with a clinical manifestation of jaundice. At the time of diagnosis, Mr. Lester had not experienced significant abdominal pain and/or weight loss,” commented Dr. Abbate.

Bill Lester survived one of the most lethal cancer types and attests his positive outcomes to the optimism he upheld the entirety of his treatment as well as the expert care he received.

“I can’t say enough great things about everyone I encountered throughout my care. I could not have been in better hands. God had a great plan and he definitely held me close through all of this,” Bill commented.

Learn more about pancreatic cancer and treatment options available at Methodist Hospital.