For Kris Hartvigsen, pancreatic cancer is a deeply personal battle.
It’s a word that echoes through his family history – claiming his father, grandfather, and two other relatives. The disease has shaped his life in profound ways, from the emotional toll of his father’s illness to the steps he now takes to protect his family’s future.
Gone too soon
Hartvigsen’s father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018, and the impact was immediate. It began with subtle signs – a loss of appetite at a family dinner – but quickly escalated.
Within a month of the diagnosis, Hartvigsen’s father underwent a Whipple procedure, a complex operation that removes tumors in the pancreas and surrounding areas.
“Post-surgery, my dad was in VGH for probably a month recovering,” Hartvigsen recalls. “I was in there every night sitting with him. You see not just the toll that the cancer had taken in a very short period of time but the toll of the recovery from the surgery.”
Ultimately, Hartvigsen’s father lost his battle with pancreatic cancer – inspiring Hartvigsen to take action not just for his own family, but for others who may face the same diagnosis.
A chance for early detection
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed too late, when treatment options are limited.
“Most people discover they have pancreatic cancer at stage four, when it’s spread to other organs,” explains Dr. Roberto Trasolini, gastroenterologist and interventional endoscopist at VGH. “For that reason, it has a very low survival rate.”
In fact, 75% of pancreatic cancer patients die within a year of diagnosis.
“Pancreas cancer is one of those diseases where early diagnosis and treatment really matters,” Dr. Trasolini says. “And we’re doing everything we can to speed up the process for patients in British Columbia.”
Given his family’s history, Hartvigsen and his sister were enrolled in the donor-funded Familial Pancreatic Cancer Program, a collaborative initiative between VGH and BC Cancer offered through the multidisciplinary team at Pancreas Centre BC. The program provides cutting-edge screening for high-risk individuals, offering a critical chance for early detection.
“The goal of this isn’t just to make sure they find it early,” Hartvigsen says. “It’s to get rid of it. It’s to make sure we are part of the solution moving forward.”
Screening has become a part of Hartvigsen’s life – a routine filled with both hope and anxiety. He goes in for screenings every year, which include minimally invasive endoscopic ultrasounds performed by Dr. Trasolini and his team at VGH.
“It’s like the best and worst day, every year,” Hartvigsen explains. “The day before and the day of, it’s pretty jarring. You think a lot.”
A legacy of hope
For Hartvigsen, the impact of the Familial Pancreatic Cancer Program is immeasurable.
“My gratitude for VGH and for this program in general is immense,” Hartvigsen says. “I don’t know if my day will come when I have to face this disease, I don’t. But I know that if it were to come, I’m in pretty good hands.”
“And even if you can’t solve the problem for your generation, you can certainly start to pave the way for the next generation and make sure that they have every fighting chance and get ahead of anything that might be coming their way.”
Thanks to the generosity of donors like the Hager family, who played an integral role in the creation of both the Familial Pancreatic Cancer Program and Pancreas Centre BC, philanthropy continues to improve outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients across the province.
“Pancreas cancer is a disease that’s changing. It’s becoming more common. But outcomes are also improving, and that’s partly due to philanthropy, research and optimization of how we do things,” Dr. Trasolini says. “With the help of philanthropists and the team that we have here at VGH, I really think anything is possible in the future.”
VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation partners with donors to raise essential funds for specialized adult health care services and research benefiting everyone in BC, supporting Pancreas Centre BC and numerous specialized programs across Vancouver Coastal Health.
Donate today to help advance pancreatic cancer care in BC.
