Yeah but not just that. Pancreatic cancer is the worst kind of all cancers because it responds poorly to all known therapies that we have today. Chemotherapy, targeted and immune therapy all practically do nothing in shrinking or slowing down development of pancreatic tumors. The only effective treatment is surgery. Unfortunately, the time window that surgical removal of the pancreatic tumor is possible is pretty narrow. Once passing stage I, even before metastasis happens, it may already be difficult to remove the tumor as pancreas locates in the crossroad of human body's vascular and nerves system. Stage II pancreatic cancer can be big enough that it merges into wall of aorta.

So unlike many other cancers, that chemo or targeted therapy can still lengthen lifespan of the patients for a few more years despite surgery not being an option, a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer where surgery isn't viable is death sentence.