Patient Success Stories

Pancreatic Cancer Patient Doing Well After Complex Surgery, Combination Treatment

Pancreatic cancer survivor Gary Potter celebrates his birthday with grandson, Nathaniel; wife, Mary; granddaughter, Renae; daughter, Sherry and Yorkie, Maggie Mae.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive condition that is rarely diagnosed in its early stages. For patients facing this challenging type of cancer, the best chance for long-term survival lies in surgical removal of the tumor, in combination with radiation and chemotherapy. A case in point is Gary Potter, a 66-year-old retired electrician from Pennsylvania, who was treated by the multidisciplinary GI oncology team at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center (UMGCC).

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in spring of 2006, Potter was referred to the Greenebaum Cancer Center to undergo a Whipple procedure, also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, the standard surgery for treating pancreatic malignancies. The procedure involves the removal of the head of the pancreas, the duodenum, a portion of the stomach, and the gallbladder. At the time of his initial surgical exploration, a large pancreatic tumor was found attached to the superior mesenteric vessels and the tumor could not be removed.

After reviewing Potter’s case in the multidisciplinary GI tumor conference, it was decided that he should start a course of radiation therapy to shrink the tumor under the guidance of Dr. William Regine, chair of the department of Radiation Oncology and an expert in pancreatic cancer. In addition, he was to begin treatment with high dose Zeloda, a chemotherapy agent that would hopefully kill any cancer cells elsewhere in his body.

It was at this point that Potter met Dr. Nader Hanna, head of Surgical Oncology at the Greenebaum Cancer Center, and an expert in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Hanna is regarded as a very aggressive expert on complicated tumor removal. After studying Potter’s case, Dr. Hanna was optimistic that radiation would shrink the tumor enough for him to successfully operate to remove it.

So, after a brief time to recover from surgery, Gary Potter and his wife, Mary, came back to Baltimore from their home in Manchester, Pennsylvania, and took up residence at the nearby Hope Lodge, a temporary housing facility for cancer patients and their families sponsored by the American Cancer Society. The couple walked the few blocks to the Greenebaum Cancer Center each weekday while he underwent a six-week course of radiation therapy, and drove home to Manchester to rest and relax on the weekends.

In September 2006, it was determined that Potter’s tumor had shrunk enough to attempt another surgery. He recalls making the difficult decision to proceed: “The experts we talked to all said that if the tumor could be removed, Dr. Hanna would be the one to do it. I mulled it over for about a week, and then decided to go for it. I lucked out. Most people would probably have thrown their hands up. But if I hadn’t done it, where would I be today?”

Dr. Hanna performed the Whipple procedure, removing the tumor along with the head of the pancreas, and leaving only a small margin of cancer on the artery. Several lymph nodes were also removed during the surgery to determine if the cancer had spread which, happily, it had not.

Potter and his family were impressed with the exceptional nursing care provided during his hospital stays. “Some of the nurses from my previous surgery would just stop in to say ‘hello’ and see how I was doing. It was very touching,” he recalls.

Now one year after his surgery, Gary Potter is continuing to receive chemotherapy in York, Pennsylvania, closer to home. He returns to UMGCC to meet with the pancreatic cancer team of experts for regular follow up visits, including PET scans and other tests to monitor his condition. He appreciates that Renee Gruel, surgical oncology nurse practitioner, is always on hand during these return visits and is unfailingly attentive and helpful. In addition, he has found the cancer center’s nutrition expert, Mindy Athas, R.D., an excellent resource for dietary advice in dealing with the lingering digestive after-effects of his treatment.

“I was very lucky. Most of the time, you don’t know you have pancreatic cancer until it’s too late,” he says. “I know I wouldn’t have had long to live if Dr. Hanna hadn’t gotten the tumor out.”

This past July, one year after his Whipple procedure, Potter developed another serious condition, diverticulitis. Though not related to his pancreatic cancer, the condition did require immediate surgery. He chose to return to the University of Maryland for the surgery, because of his faith in Dr. Hanna. The surgery to remove the portion of his diseased colon was successfully performed and there was no evidence of the pancreatic cancer coming back.

Although the date selected for his most recent follow-up visit, 9-11, seemed ominous, the news on his health continues to be positive and he is slowly but surely feeling better. With his next return visit not scheduled for a full three months, he is looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren and enjoying his favorite fall pastimes – hunting, scouting the flea markets to add to his collections, and enjoying the simple pleasures of working outdoors.

For more information about the treatment options for pancreatic cancer, our GI oncology program, or other programs or services of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, please call 1-800-888-8823 or 410-328-7904.

If you would like to share your story about treatment for cancer at UMGCC, please contact us at 410-328-8289.


This page was last updated on: November 30, 2007.