Doctors using effective new treatment for pancreatic cancer patience

FRESNO, Calif (KFSN) -- A successful treatment for one kind of tumor is showing promise for people with pancreatic cancer.

Lorri and Randall Swan work as a team researching every option to fight Randall's cancer.

"It will come back and, and, and haunt you if you don't hit it with as big a hammer as you can," says Randall.

In some ways, Randall says he's extremely lucky, "To put it into perspective, this tumor is only about that big, it's about the size, half the size of a small pea, not a whole lot, but it was strategically located that it caused me symptoms."

Doctors caught it early rare for this type of cancer.

Doctor Joseph Herman is studying the use of S.B.R.T., or Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy, in pancreatic patients. By mapping the exact location of the tumor, doctors deliver a precise dose every day for just five days.

Doctor Herman explained, "Because we can deliver a short course of radiation with very minimal toxicity, this allows radiation to be added to other therapies."

Doctor Herman said in some patients, the S.B.R.T. reduced the size of the tumor, and made surgery an option. For a few, the S.B.R.T. wiped out the tumor.

"That was pretty shocking for us because we didn't expect that dose of radiation to completely eradicate the cancer," said Doctor Herman.

Randall had surgery to remove the cancer followed by S.B.R.T. and he is cancer-free, for now.

"Don't give up hope," stated Randall.