A Success Story

A Success Story - often it is these human stories told by ordinary New Zealanders that can inspire us in our health journey. This is one received when we were first introducing 'help me to heal' Programme to Jane's contact list. The story of Paul Hargreaves (Jane was with Paul on the National Council of the Institute of Directors (NZ) Inc )was sent to Jane earlier this month and she received the permission of Paul to utilise his story.
 

Pancreatic Cancer

Paul Hargreaves, ONZM
Remuera, Auckland , New Zealand
March 2007

In May 2006 I was diagnosed with a cancer in the tail of the pancreas. A distal pancreatectomy was attempted together with splenectomy on 1 June 2006 by Professor John Windsor, Professor of Surgery at the University of Auckland Medical School, who found that the cancer was too advanced to carry this out successfully. I was given a poor outlook.

I was referred to Professor Michael Findlay, Professor of Oncology, who placed me on a chemotherapy treatment which is the result of a recent Italian study which had reported very good results. It involved a 4 drug schedule, Epirubicin, Cisplatin, Gemcitabine and Capecitabine. This proved remarkably successful in my case and by early December, 10 x 2 weekly treatments had shrunk the tumour to the point where the surgeon was prepared to undertake another operation.

A distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy was undertaken on 22 February by Professor Windsor, entirely successfully this time, together with removal of a lymph node. The subsequent pathology is entirely positive showing histologically that there is no cancer left in the pancreas.

I had idiopathic neutropenia which exposed my immune system but this was managed successfully during the chemo (4 days of injecting neupogen after each fortnightly treatment.)

The treatments were planned to be in 3 cycles of 8 weeks administered 2 weekly with the exception of the Capecitabine which was taken orally. A CT scan was taken at the end of each cycle. In the event we fell slightly short and completed 10 treatments by early December. The CT scans had showed up progressively very good results to the point where I was able to be presented back to the surgeon in December who committed to operate, subject to a further confirming scan which was positive.

I felt well throughout and used acupuncture as an aid to counter the chemo effects and transcendental meditation which I have practiced for many years, being careful with diet. Throughout I have gone about my normal business. I find that people have all sorts of different ways of coping with this. The support of my wife throughout was of huge importance. I even managed a visit to Antarctica in January.

At the time stage I was the only patient on whom this drug combination had been tried in New Zealand.