Randy Pausch

Dr. Herb Zeh helped perform surgeries for Randy's cancer.

According to research done by the American Cancer Society organizations, pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death that occur to both men and women in the United States. Unfortunately, Randy Pausch was one of very few to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2006. Pancreatic cancer is a painful and deadly disease with a four to five percent rate of survival. Through surgeries, intensive chemotherapy and other treatments, he was able to make progress in his battle with cancer.

 

Dr. Robert Wolff was a primary oncologist that checked up with Randy and kept him informed.

However, on August 2007, he and his family were notified that his cancer relapsed after to a failed surgical operation. He was then informed that he would have approximately three to six months to live. Through great courage and perseverance, he and his family were able to withstand this and make the best of the remaining time. He soon began to record his day-to-day updates about his cancer progress on his personal blog. In the end, Randy Pausch defied the odds and lived four months beyond what was predicted.

 

 

During his struggles with pancreatic cancer, Randy Pausch was inspired to help find a cure, hoping to prevent the future suffering of others. He participated in campaigns to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer with organizations like the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN). He also helped with public service announcements for The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research in order to promote awareness of this deadly disease.