Ben Sasse Reveals Stage 4 Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: What the Diagnosis Means

Former

Senator Ben Sasse revealed that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. The Republican from Nebraska announced his condition on X, detailing in the social media post that he had received the diagnosis the previous week. “Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence,” the 53-year-old said. “But I already had a death sentence before last week, too — we all do.” Sasse further stated he will provide additional information in the future, emphasizing that he is “not going down without a fight” and will be receiving treatment.

What is pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in your pancreas mutate and multiply out of control - forming a tumour. Your pancreas is a gland in your abdomen, between your spine and stomach. It makes hormones that control blood-sugar levels and enzymes that aid digestion. Most pancreatic cancers start in the ducts of your pancreas. According to doctors, the main pancreatic duct connects your pancreas to your common bile duct. Early-stage pancreatic tumours do not show up on imaging tests. For this reason, many people don’t receive a diagnosis until the cancer has spread. Pancreatic cancer is also resistant to many common cancer drugs, making it notoriously difficult to treat. Data says pancreatic cancer causes almost 3 per cent of all cancers in the United States. It is the tenth 10th most common cancer in men and the eighth most common cancer in women.

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer

While there are not many early signs of pancreatic cancer, a few symptoms emerge once the tumour starts impacting other organs around your digestive system. These include:

• Jaundice or yellowing of your skin
• Dark urine or pee
• Light coloured stool
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Back pain
• Fatigue and tiredness
• Skin itchiness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Gas and bloating
• Lack of appetite
• Blood clots
• New onset of diabetes

A doctor may suspect pancreatic cancer if you have recently developed diabetes or pancreatitis, a painful condition that happens due to inflammation in your pancreas.

How long does it take for pancreatic cancer to spread?

While there are no tell-tale early signs of pancreatic cancer, many people develop vague symptoms up to one year before they receive a diagnosis. Many others also report their first pancreatic cancer symptoms, which include back pain or stomach pain. These symptoms can come and go at first, but may get worse after meals or when you lie down.

What causes pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic cancer has a few common risk factors that increase your chances of getting a certain disease; a few of these include:

• Smoking
• Obesity and being overweight
• Diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes
• Exposure to certain chemicals, like pesticides and petrochemicals.
• Chronic pancreatitis is a permanent inflammation of your pancreas.
• Hereditary chronic pancreatitis is due to gene changes (mutations) passed from biological parent to child.
• Hereditary syndromes with changes (mutations) in genes, such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, are passed from biological parent to child.