Published Jul 28, 2025

58-Year-Old Fit Man’s ‘Stitch-Like Pain’ Turned Out To Pancreatic Cancer. He Hesitated To Get Checked Because ‘It Just Didn’t Seem Serious Enough’

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Understanding Pancreatic Cancer

Andy Rushton, a 58-year-old dad of one, was diagnosed with early-stage pancreatic cancer after experiencing a mild “stitch-like pain” on the left side of his abdomen. Now he’s sharing his story to encourage others to get their symptoms checked.
He treated his disease with an invasive surgery called the Whipple procedure, also known as a pancreatoduodenectomy. This surgery is very complex, but its main objective is to remove tumors from the pancreas.
Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the pancreas. It is more challenging to treat because symptoms usually don’t present themselves until the cancer has spread or metastasized. Symptoms may include weight gain, back pain, and jaundice.
Early-stage pancreatic cancer tumors don’t appear on imaging scans, and people typically don’t experience symptoms until the disease has progressed. The pancreas’ location in the abdomen makes it harder to find tumors.
Treatment options for pancreatic cancer may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.

Andy Rushton, a 58-year-old retired communications director and dad of one, was diagnosed with early-stage pancreatic cancer after experiencing a mild “stitch-like pain” on the left side of his abdomen, which he dismissed as not serious enough “to warrant medical attention.”

The native of Lancashire, England, is now sharing his story to encourage others on the importance of being your own advocate and getting diagnosed early—and he’s praising his doctor for saving his life.

What You Need to Know About Pancreatic Cancer

Ruston, who describes himself as a “fit and healthy” man who frequents the gym and only goes to the doctor “unless absolutely necessary,” explained in a recent interview with the U.K. charity Pancreatic Cancer Action, “A simple stitch-like pain changed everything for me, and my story is a testament to the importance of early diagnosis and proactive medical care.”

Further explaining what led to his diagnosis, he said, “For a while, I experienced a mild pain that felt like a stitch on the left side of my abdomen. Since I was always on the move, often traveling, I kept putting off a visit to my GP general practitioner]. It just didn’t seem serious enough to warrant medical attention.

“However, in December 2024, after returning from a trip, I finally decided to book an appointment with my local GP. In hindsight, this decision and the actions of my GP saved my life.”

Rushton’s doctor decided to order him an ultrasound as a precautionary measure, which led to the discovery of an enlarged lymph node.

His next course of action was a CT scan, which didn’t spot the lymph node in question, but instead, a 3cm tumor close was found on his pancreas.

“Following the CT scan, I underwent an MRI and a biopsy. Then, on Christmas Eve, I received the call that changed everything. The tumor wasn’t directly communicating with my pancreas, but it was identified as a high-grade dysplasia … essentially, pre-cancerous cells. I knew right away that I wanted it removed as soon as possible,” Rushton said.

On March 11, Rushton ultimately underwent a whipple procedure, also called a pancreatoduodenectomy. According to the National Institute of Health, this surgery is very complex, but its main objective is to remove tumors from the pancreas.

He told Pancreas Cancer Action, “The procedure I underwent was the Whipple procedure, a complex 10-hour surgery that involved removing the head of my pancreas, 15 lymph nodes and replumbing my digestive system.

“Thankfully, I managed to avoid becoming type 3c diabetic, which can often be a risk after such a major operation. By Day 8, I was discharged from the hospital.”

Rushton now insists, “The actions of my GP truly saved my life. To put things into perspective, after my case, he asked a local GP forum how they would have handled a patient with my symptoms. None of the GPs present said they would have referred for an ultrasound immediately but rather either done nothing or called me back in six months.

“Since my diagnosis, local GP practices have changed their approach. Now, any patient over the age of 50 presenting with symptoms similar to mine is automatically sent for an ultrasound. This change in protocol is crucial because pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers. If my case had been delayed by even a few months, I likely wouldn’t be here today.”

Now, months after his surgery, Rushton admits, “I am more determined than ever to push for early diagnosis. Ideally, there should be a national screening program for everyone over 45.

“Until that happens, it is crucial for GPs to listen to their patients – patients know their own bodies best. Early action can mean the difference between life and death, and I am living proof of that.”

He concluded, “My experience highlights how essential it is to act swiftly when something doesn’t feel right. If my GP had followed the standard response and delayed my referral, my story could have had a very different ending.

“Because of one doctor’s proactive decision, I am here today, continuing to live my life, hopefully for another 30 years or so, exercising, and advocating for better pancreatic cancer awareness. If my journey encourages even one person to seek medical attention sooner, then sharing it will have been worth it.”

As for people living in the U.S., the American Cancer Society (ACS) explains, “Pancreatic cancer is hard to find early. The pancreas is deep inside the body, so early tumors can’t be seen or felt by health care providers during routine physical exams. People usually have no symptoms until the cancer has become very large or has already spread to other organs.

“For certain types of cancer, screening tests or exams are used to look for cancer in people who have no symptoms (and who have not had that cancer before). But for pancreatic cancer, no major professional groups currently recommend routine screening in people who are at average risk. This is because no screening test has been shown to lower the risk of dying from this cancer.”

Meanwhile, sharing his story with The Telegraph, Rushton admits that catching and fighting this disease is “better than winning the lottery.”

He said, “If I’d waited until jaundice or other symptoms showed, it might have been too late. I tell every man over 40 now … don’t ignore niggles. If you’ve got abdominal discomfort, get it checked. Don’t be proud. Just go.

“And as for Dianne [his wife], well, I couldn’t have done this without her. She’s not just my wife; she’s part of everything. She went through this as much as I did. We’re a team.”

Understanding Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease that is difficult to detect because symptoms, including jaundice and weight loss, typically present at a later stage in the cancer’s development. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Anirban Maitra, the co-leader of the Pancreatic Cancer Moon Shot at MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains what he typically sees when patients develop this disease.

“Because the pancreas is inside the abdomen often doesn’t have symptoms that would tell you that something is wrong with your pancreas,” he says. “By the time individuals walk into the clinic with symptoms like jaundice, weight loss, back pain or diabetes, it’s often very late in the stage of the disease.”

Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial

Parents, siblings and children of someone with pancreatic cancer are considered high risk for developing the disease because they are first-degree relatives of the individual. PGVs (pathogenic germline variants) are changes in reproductive cells (sperm or egg) that become part of the DNA in the cells of the offspring. Germline variants are passed from parents to their children, and are associated with increased risks of several cancer types, including pancreatic, ovarian and breast cancers. Germline mutations in ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, CKDN2A, PALB2, PRSS1, STK11 and TP53 are associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer.

Jessica Everett, a genetic counselor at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, encourages people in this category to look into possible screening options.

“If you’re concerned about pancreatic cancer in your family, start by talking to a genetic counselor to learn more about your risk and what options you have,” Everett said.

Additionally, note that up to ten percent of pancreatic cancer cases are caused by inherited genetic syndromes. So, if two or more members of your family have had pancreatic cancer, or if you have pancreatic cysts, it’s worth asking your doctor to check for pancreatic cancer since you’re at high risk.

Progress in Pancreatic Cancer

Progress has been made over the last few years in the world of pancreatic cancer treatments. One clinical trial recently found that the drug Onivyde, in combination with chemotherapy in the so-called Nalirifox regimen, helped patients live longer compared with chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC), according to Ipsen, the pharmaceutical company that bought the drug.

“The prognosis for people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer is extremely poor and we plan to submit these new findings to the regulatory authority as, if approved, we believe this regimen could offer up an important new treatment option for people living with an aggressive and hard-to-treat cancer,” Howard Mayer, Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development for Ipsen, said. “We thank the patients who participated in the study, their families and their healthcare teams.”

The drug is currently approved in the U.S., Europe, and Asia in combination with fluorouracil and leucovorin as a treatment for mPDAC after disease progression and following gemcitabine-based therapy.

Another example of progress being made comes in the form of immunotherapy, a type of cancer treatment that uses your own immune system to fight cancer.

“Up until now, immunotherapy hasn’t had a big role,” Dr. Allyson Ocean, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet.

Dr. Allyson Ocean explains why pancreatic cancer is so hard to treat.

A clinical trial led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and sponsored by the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, found “combination of chemotherapy with an immunotherapy meant to unleash the anticancer capacity of the immune system was effective against one of the hardest targets in cancer care, pancreatic cancer,” said Penn Medicine.

“The researchers found that in 34 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer randomized to receive the immunotherapy nivolumab with two chemotherapy drugs, nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine, had a one-year survival rate of 57.7 percent, significantly greater than the historical average of 35 percent with chemotherapy alone,” the institution said.

Dr. Benjamin Musher, the director of medical oncology at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, recently said there were currently multiple “home-grown clinical trials testing novel immunotherapies in all stages of pancreatic cancer studies underway at Baylor St. Luke’s.” But only about 5 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer participate in such studies.

“We know that we are not going to improve outcomes without more patients enrolling,” Musher said.

In addition, there are immunotherapy clinical trial innovations being made to allow for multiple immunotherapeutic approaches to be tested and compared to one or several standard-of-care options within trials. In other words, “investigational treatments can be added or dropped from the trial over time, depending on preclinical and clinical evidence.”

“We’re encouraged by the trend toward more innovative clinical trial designs to improve the drug development process and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes,” PanCAN Chief Science Officer Lynn Matrisian said in a recent article from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

Clinical trials, in general, are research studies that compare the most effective known treatment for a specific type or stage of a disease with a new approach.

Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist with UCLA Health, previously told SurvivorNet that clinical trials can play an important role for some patients’ treatment, but they also serve a larger purpose.

“Clinical trials hopefully can benefit you, but it’s also providing very, very vital information to the whole scientific community about the effectiveness of these treatments,” Dr. Karlan said. “We need everyone to be partners with us if we’re ever going to truly cure cancer or prevent people from having to die from cancer.”

That being said, there is no guarantee you’ll receive more effective treatment than the standard of care, and clinical trials certainly aren’t right for everyone. You should always talk with your doctor(s) before getting involved in one. Some risks to consider are:

The risk of harm and/or side effects due to experimental treatments
Researchers may be unaware of some potential side effects for experimental treatments
The treatment may not work for you, even if it has worked for others

But if you’ve already decided that a clinical trial is right for you or you’re just beginning to explore your treatment options, you should know that SurvivorNet has a tool for you. The SurvivorNet Clinical Trial Finder: an A.I. driven tool for patients to find clinical trial options for treatment.

The tool is built on top of clinicaltrials.gov, a database maintained by the U.S. government that compiles privately and publicly funded clinical trials conducted around the world, and gives access to more than 100,000+ individual clinical trials, updated daily.

“Clinical trials are critical to the development of new therapies, and as we live through this extraordinary revolution in genomics, immunotherapy and targeted therapy, it’s clear that one of the most pressing needs for patients, clinical trials sponsors, and researchers is simply a better way to find patients,” SurvivorNet CEO Steve Alperin said.

“Even one percent more people successfully enrolled in clinical trials can change the world.”

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Questions for 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?

Pushing For A Correct Diagnosis

When it comes to your health, be a little pushy. You know your body better than anyone else. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to make sure that your question is fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.

As a patient, if you don’t feel like each of these four things has been accomplished, just ask! Even if it requires multiple visits or seeing additional providers for a second opinion, always be your own advocate.

The Importance of Being Your Own Advocate

Dr. Zuri Murrell, director of the Cedars-Sinai Colorectal Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet that healthcare guidelines are meant to do the right thing for the largest number of people while using the fewest resources.

“The truth is you have to be in tune with your body, and you realize that you are not the statistic,” he said.

Dr. Murrell told SurvivorNet that not every patient will “fit into the mold,” so it’s important to educate yourself and be your own health care advocate.

“Every appointment you leave as a patient, there should be a plan for what the doc is going to do for you, and if that doesn’t work, what the next plan is,” Dr. Murrell advised. “And I think that that’s totally fair. And me as a health professional that’s what I do for all of my patients.”