Former GOP Sen. Ben Sasse On ‘Nasty Drug’ to Treat Stage 4 Cancer

Despite those improvements, Sasse said the cancer had already spread extensively, and doctors do not expect the treatment to fully eliminate the disease.

Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in the pancreas—a gland located behind the stomach that helps regulate blood sugar and aids digestion—begin to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors, according to the Cleveland Clinic

Advertisement “There are certain diseases where getting access to promising drugs may mean the difference between life and death, and pancreatic cancer is an example of this,” said Dr. Christopher Lieu, a professor of medical oncology at the University of Colorado Anschutz.