Leaning on Faith In the Face of Pancreatic Cancer
- Country music singer from “The Oak Ridge Boys” Richard Sterban, 82, is canceling concerts for the next few months as he focuses on battling pancreatic cancer.
- Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the pancreas. It can be challenging to treat because symptoms usually don’t present themselves until the cancer has spread or metastasized.
- Symptoms may include unexplained weight loss, back pain, jaundice, and pain in the abdomen.
- Dr. Allyson Ocean, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center, explained that pancreatic cancer is difficult to treat because the cancer cells have a barrier called the stroma, which prevents cancer medications, including chemotherapy and radiation, from targeting and killing cancer cells.
- According to research published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases, pancreatic cancer “has the lowest 5-year survival rate” largely because of a lack of serological markers for screening, aggressive local invasion, the tendency to spread, resistance to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, and late diagnosis.
- Sterban is leaning on her deep faith and a strong support network—including friends, family, and her church community—to navigate treatment and recovery: “With the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this.”
- A study published in Cancer includes data that found “69% of cancer patients reported praying for their health” compared to “only 45% of the general U.S. population.”
“I am under the care of the best cancer doctors in the country and, with the help of the Good Lord above, I believe I will be able to get through this,” Sterban shared on the band’s official website.
Despite the challenges, Sterban remains hopeful and deeply grateful.
“I want to thank everyone, especially the fans, for your concern, and I would appreciate your continued prayers. Most days I’m feeling very good, and I hope to be back out on the road in several months,” he said.
Sterban’s resilience and faith continue to inspire fans and fellow musicians alike.
Helping Patients with Pancreatic Cancer Resources
- Immunotherapy Offers New Hope for Fighting Pancreatic Cancer
- 3 Key Pancreatic Cancer Red Flags to Look Out For; Some Were Present in Alex Trebek & Patrick Swayze
- “Stay Positive!” Alex Trebek Pens Touching, Private Note to Woman Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Who Worships Him
- Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome: Pancreatic Cancer
Coping with a Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging forms of the disease—largely because it’s often diagnosed too late for curative treatment. Symptoms typically don’t appear until the cancer is already advanced, making early detection incredibly difficult.
“Around eighty percent of pancreatic cancer patients already have advanced disease by the time they’re diagnosed, severely limiting treatment options,” explains Dr. Anirban Maitra, Co-Leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“Just twenty percent of patients have their cancer caught early enough to make them a candidate for surgery, the only way pancreatic cancer can be cured.”
WATCH: What is a PARP Inhibitor?
For those with heightened risk, early testing offers a crucial window of opportunity. PubMed-published research highlights the role of genetic testing in identifying those with increased susceptibility. Individuals with a close family history of pancreatic cancer or an inherited genetic cancer syndrome fall into the high-risk category and should consult their doctors about screening options.
High-risk patients may benefit from advanced screening methods such as endoscopic ultrasound or MRI scans—tools that can detect abnormalities before symptoms arise.
According to the National Cancer Institute, pancreatic cancer risk factors fall into two broad categories: those we inherit and those we can influence. Key risk factors include:
- Family history
- Inherited genetic syndromes
- Tobacco use
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Chronic pancreatitis
Promising Progress in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: PARP Inhibitors Show Potential
Some patients battling advanced pancreatic cancer have found added hope, thanks to encouraging research around PARP inhibitors—a class of targeted drugs that prevent damaged cancer cells from repairing themselves. Proven initially effective in treating ovarian and breast cancers, PARP inhibitors are now showing promise for pancreatic cancer as well.
RELATED: How Do PARP Inhibitors Work for Pancreatic Cancer?
Researchers previously spotlighted olaparib (Lynparza), a PARP inhibitor that helped extend progression-free survival in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer linked to BRCA gene mutations. This means patients lived longer without their disease worsening—a milestone that led to the drug’s approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“We are making advancements in pancreatic cancer over the last five to ten years; however, the advancements have come out slowly,” Dr. Ocean said.
“This is because, unfortunately, many drugs that have been tried when added to chemotherapy regimens just haven’t made a significant impact in improving survival for these patients.”
She added, “So we need to find more drugs that will show more efficacy with this disease.”
Using Faith as a Tool for Healing
A study published in Cancer highlights the powerful role of faith in the lives of cancer patients, revealing that 69% of those diagnosed with cancer reported praying for their health, compared to 45% of the general U.S. population.
Cancer psychologist Dr. Andrew Kneier helped co-author “Coping with Cancer: Ten Steps toward Emotional Well-Being.” He also co-authored a column published by Stanford Medicine with Rabbi Jeffery M. Silberman, director of spiritual care at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut.
WATCH: Turning to Faith During a Cancer Journey
Together, they emphasize the deep emotional and psychological support that faith provides to those battling illness.
According to Kneier and Silberman, spirituality offers a powerful coping mechanism, helping individuals navigate the uncertainty that comes with a cancer diagnosis.
“A person’s faith or spirituality provides a means for coping with illness and reaching a deeper kind of inner healing,” they explain.
Faith helps patients in multiple ways, including:
- Seeking answers to the difficult questions illness presents.
- Finding comfort in the midst of fear and pain.
- Gaining a sense of direction during an overwhelming and uncertain time.
Religious teachings, they argue, can serve as a guidepost, offering strength and resilience when navigating the emotional and physical challenges of cancer.
WATCH: Three-time cancer survivor shares how her faith helped her during cancer.
New York City Presbyterian Pastor Tom Evans tells SurvivorNet about the importance of finding ways to cope with the complex web of feelings you may be experiencing after a challenging health diagnosis, such as cancer.
“It’s important to reach out in a simple prayer to God, even if you’ve never prayed before, you don’t know what to say, a heartfelt plea, ‘God, help me, be with me,’” Pastor Evans told SurvivorNet.
“You can reach out to God, and you can reach out to people, your friends and family, and say, ‘I can’t do this on my own. I need you.’ “It’s in that willingness to be open and to receive that we can find something deeper that we never would’ve encountered without this hardship,” Evans continued.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, you may have questions but are unsure how to get the answers you need. SurvivorNet suggests asking your doctor the following to kickstart your journey to more solid answers.
- What type of pancreatic cancer do I have?
- Has my cancer spread beyond my pancreas?
- If so, where has it spread, and what is the stage of the disease?
- What is my prognosis?
- What are my treatment options?
- What side effects should I expect after undergoing treatment?
- Will insurance cover my recommended treatment?
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