Jim Kneebone knew that something wasn't right when he couldn't make it through the day without napping, and his iron levels remained stubbornly low for no obvious reason.
But finding out that he had pancreatic cancer in October 2022 left the 42-year-old Queensland man and his wife Ros "in complete shock".
Now, Mr Kneebone believes attending regular appointments with his GP, where he discussed his growing fatigue, and following up on those low iron levels saved his life because his cancer was caught early.
If left undetected, pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly in Australia, with just 12 per cent of those diagnosed reaching the five-year survival mark.
A silent killer
Pancreatic cancer is the third most prolific cancer killer because it is often not detected until it has spread to other organs.
Last year, Mr Kneebone began experiencing such severe fatigue that he needed a nap to get through the day.
His GP began investigating, while Mr Kneebone kept up with biennial colonoscopy and endoscopy appointments.
When Mr Kneebone's gastroenterologist couldn't find any evidence of internal bleeding that could explain his iron deficiency, he asked for further tests.
A CT scan and an MRI detected a lesion on his pancreas.
Mr Kneebone said he went through "every emotion" at the time of diagnosis.
"My boss at work had passed away a couple years prior with pancreatic cancer, she died within 10 months of diagnosis," he said.
"So when you talk about emotions — it was every emotion — and thinking how long [do I have]?"
Fortunately, the early diagnosis meant Mr Kneebone was able to undergo surgery to remove all of the tumour on the head of his pancreas. Unfortunately, he picked up an infection that left him in hospital for two months.
Mr Kneebone says he is now cancer-free but will continue to undergo scans in case it returns.
Raising awareness
He is urging others to see a doctor "if you're not feeling 100 per cent".
"If I had waited, who knows what would have happened," he said.
"It probably would have been years before it impacted me enough to pick up the signs.
"I know people don't always want to see a doctor and have invasive stuff, but sometimes you have to."
Mr Kneebone, who has long made printed T-shirts as a hobby, has turned what was once a Christmas gimmick into a fundraising effort by donating $5 for every T-shirt to PanKind, the Australian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.
His family has banded together to walk in the Put Your Foot Down Brisbane walk — a PanKind fundraiser for pancreatic cancer research.
Mr Kneebone and his family have raised about $6,500 ahead of the walk this Sunday, May 14, which will start at New Farm Park.
Focus on quality care, specialist says
Hepatobiliary, pancreatic and general surgeon Dr Manju Chandrasegaram said 85 per cent of patients did not have an operable disease but there were treatment options like chemotherapy.
"Fifteen per cent of patients will have surgery, and of those, roughly 20 to 30 per cent will be alive at five years [after surgery]," she said.
"I have patients with some really advanced disease, sometimes they would not necessarily have surgery, but have fairly good outcomes. They go back to work, they become functioning members of society.
"So it's all about buying time … and the emphasis should be on quality of care."
Mr Kneebone said the support he received from hospital staff and his loved ones throughout his treatment made a big difference.
"The support from the doctors, our surgeon took plenty of time to talk to us … even the specialist who did the ultrasound came in on school holidays just to see me," he said.
"Equally important were all the nurses."
Mr Kneebone said he could not remember most of the first six weeks he spent in hospital but knows his family was by his side.
"My wife was there 100 per cent by my side, and just knowing my family was there was a big thing for me," he said.
PanKind chief executive Michelle Stewart said pancreatic cancer survival rates were still unacceptably low.
"It is a devastating disease with dire statistics, which is often caught too late to explore treatment options," she said.
"The Put Your Foot Down walks provide an important forum for patients, their families, and the broader community to unite for greater impact, and to help advocate for greater focus and funding."
This article is general in nature and people with pancreatic cancer should seek medical advice from their doctor and medical team.
