Grandfather with pancreatic cancer beats the odds with clinical trial
Hernando Salcedo was diagnosed with Stage III pancreatic cancer after mild symptoms. Chemotherapy made him feel worse than before his diagnosis.
Hernando Salcedo was surprised when he noticed his stomach swelling in May 2025. The 83-year-old grandfather had always been healthy and active. He'd had some hip pain recently, but thought it was his age. The swelling came out of nowhere and didn't have a clear cause.
He visited his doctor, but an endoscopic ultrasound wasn't able to identify the cause of his pain and swelling. He was referred to a gastroenterologist, who ordered an MRI. Two days later, he received a devastating diagnosis: Stage III pancreatic cancer.
"It was very hard" to hear that diagnosis, Salcedo told CBS News. Most Stage III pancreatic cancer patients survive just months after being diagnosed, with a five-year survival rate of just 15%, according to the American Cancer Society . Surgery can be effective in removing the cancer, but Salcedo wasn't a candidate for such a procedure. The only available treatment option was aggressive chemotherapy aimed at extending his life, not curing the cancer.
He began chemotherapy at the Miami Cancer Institute in July 2025, only to quickly suffer severe side effects. He couldn't eat and lost weight. His son Mauricio said his father went from someone who would walk 2 or 3 miles every morning to a man who could barely leave the house.
"I've never seen my dad in bed for that amount of time, where he can't even get up," Mauricio said.
Salcedo was in pain and often felt worse than he had before his diagnosis. Previously, he was uncomfortable. But now he was barely able to function.