Pam Dartt never felt scared when she found out she needed surgery for a pancreatic tumor.
From her first visit to the University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary pancreatic cancer clinic to a complex, 10-hour surgery performed by cancer center member Marco Del Chiaro, MD, she says she knew she was in good hands the entire time.
“We went up and spent the entire day at the multidisciplinary clinic, meeting all the physicians and staff that were going to be involved,” she says. “It was so incredibly impressive and felt very supportive. That was a huge help.”
The multidisciplinary team included medical oncologist Christopher Lieu, MD, associate director of clinical research at the CU Anschutz Cancer Center and professor in the CU Anschutz School of Medicine.
Her cancer center care team even worked to arrange chemotherapy for Dartt in Grand Junction, closer to her home, so she wouldn’t have to drive all the way to CU Anschutz for the appointments.
Pam Dartt with her pets.
“Dr. Lieu was in charge of oncology, and he said, ‘Listen, we can we can find a resource down in Grand Junction area, a lot closer to you, for you to do the chemotherapy,’” Dartt remembers. “Again, it was just so supportive: ‘What do you want?’ ‘What can we do for you?’ We were so grateful that we were able to do the frequent treatments down here, There was a lot of consideration given to our location.”
Initial diagnosis
Dartt’s cancer experience began in 2017, when she began experiencing unexplained stomach issues including pain and nausea.
“They were treating me for colitis and all kinds of different things, but nothing seemed to help, says Dartt, 76, who lives in Parachute, Colorado. “One of our community doctors saw me at his office, and I was down to 93 pounds. So he made a referral to UCHealth, and that's when they started thinking about cancer.”
Imaging revealed a tumor on her pancreas, which was when Dartt was referred to the CU Anschutz Cancer Center. The specific location of the tumor made it difficult to operate on, but fortunately for Dartt, Del Chiaro specializes in complex pancreatic surgery. He also is an expert in administering chemotherapy prior to surgery to shrink the tumor so it’s more operable and after surgery to kill any microscopic cancer cells that could spread to other parts of the body.
“The tumor was involved in multiple blood vessels around the pancreas, which is a condition which we normally think of as inoperable,” says Del Chiaro, professor of surgical oncology in the CU Anschutz School of Medicine. “Pam underwent preoperative chemotherapy with significant reduction in tumor marker, but it was still a very complex vascular situation. Patients in this situation are normally given palliative treatment, but this type of surgery is my specialty. I came to the University of Colorado to do this kind of operation.”
The surgery was in May 2019, and seven years later, is Dartt living with no evidence of disease, making yearly visits to Del Chiaro to make sure the cancer has not returned.
“I was never afraid or fearful that I was going to die,” Dartt says. “I didn't even think about that. I felt good about the whole experience, and I thought, ‘I’m going to get through this, no matter what.’”
‘Living a very good life’
Dartt and her husband, Jeff, now refer to Del Chiaro as “our most favorite person” and say they have been equally impressed with the surgeon inside and outside of the operating room.
Pam Dartt with her husband, Jeff.
“Our daughter, who lives in Iowa, came out for this, and the morning of the surgery, I think it was about 5:30 or quarter-to-six in the morning, we met with Dr. Del Chiaro,” Jeff remembers. “He came in in street clothes to meet with us, and he talked to our daughter for 10 or 15 minutes, just to let her know what had been going on and what to expect. That was totally impressive to me.”
Now that she is living with no evidence of disease, Dartt says she has a new appreciation for the things she used to take for granted — camping, fishing, and hiking with her husband, doing hobbies like oil painting and sewing, hanging out with her dog and “best friend,” Odyssey, and traveling to Iowa to spend time with her daughter and grandchildren.
“Every morning when I get up, I thank God I'm here,” she says. “We've had five friends in the past year pass away from cancer, and one was from pancreatic cancer. I feel so fortunate that I had I had such a good team working with me.”
Dartt is looking especially forward to her next visit to Iowa in May 2027, when she will watch her grandson graduate from high school.
“I'm looking so forward to spending time with my grandchildren, son, daughter, and son-in-law,” she says. “It will be extra-special because my grandson and my daughter always worry about me and and check in on me. So this will be great — no more cancer. Grandma made it.”
