Stephen was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last April after experiencing abdominal discomfort following a trip to Florida.

He came to Dana-Farber for his treatment, which included a whipple surgery, in which part of his pancreas was removed, followed by 16 weeks of chemotherapy.

Stephen considers himself incredibly lucky that his disease was caught relatively early. The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is only 7%. When pancreatic cancer is detected early, the survival percentages increase dramatically. 

Stephen also can’t say enough about his care team at Dana-Farber which included his surgeon, Dr. Clancy, his nurse, Kathleen Boyle, and his oncologist, Dr. Nadine McCleary.  

Sadly, this was not the first experience with cancer for Stephen and his family. He lost his daughter to leukemia in the 1970s. At that time, the survival rate for childhood leukemia was about 20%. Today it is over 80% thanks to advances in science and investments in research.

Stephen lives with his wife of 53 years in Marblehead. He is retired now and enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren.