fbpx

Robert Miller Pancreatic Cancer Survivor

28-Year Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Robert Miller Believes Diet, Lifestyle Changes Were Key Contributors to His Long-Term Survival

Contributing Writer
Julia Brabant
October 1, 2024

Diagnosed: August 1996
Current Status: He has shown no evidence of disease since his initial treatment.

When doctors diagnosed Robert Miller with pancreatic cancer 28 years ago, the medical landscape at the time offered little hope. Faced with limited treatment options and grim statistics, Robert, of Lake Hartwell, Georgia, took matters into his own hands, making a series of major dietary and lifestyle adjustments that he eventually detailed in a book. Now, nearly three decades later, his story continues to inspire others facing similar health hurdles, and it also shines a spotlight on how lifestyle changes and informed choices can redefine what’s possible when faced with pancreatic cancer.

Robert’s health issues began during the summer of 1996, when the two-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer was less than 5%. A heavy drinker and a self-proclaimed bad eater, he’d spent much of his life enjoying alcohol and red meat. While his doctor told Robert he had high cholesterol, he was taking medication to manage it and not otherwise making any significant dietary changes.

After an evening of drinking and dining with his wife, Robert experienced a sharp pain when he bent over to remove his socks. Thinking the pain might be stemming from overindulging on dinner and drinks, he went to bed, but the following morning, he discovered that his urine had taken on a bright orange hue.

Alarmed, Robert scheduled a meeting with his primary care physician, who said Robert’s eyes showed signs of jaundice. The doctor asked if he’d recently eaten raw fish or drank well water, and when Robert said yes to both questions, the doctor suspected he might have Hepatitis C and conducted blood tests to learn more.

When the blood tests were negative for Hep-C, Robert began to suspect he might be dealing with cirrhosis of the liver. At this point, his entire body had taken on a yellowish tone, and he began to experience intense itching on top of it. Then and there, he decided to cut alcohol from his life, and now, 28 years later, he’s yet to take another sip.

Robert’s doctor sent him to a gastroenterologist who conducted an endoscopic test and a sonogram. X-rays and blood tests followed, and the GI doctor then introduced Robert to two more medical professionals: a surgeon and an oncologist. It was then that the surgeon delivered Robert’s diagnosis of Stage 3 pancreatic cancer. Robert’s care team recommended he first undergo surgery and then follow it up with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.

Robert asked the surgeon what the survival rate was for the recommended Whipple surgery, to which the doctor responded, “The mortality rate is 80%.” Not familiar with the term “mortality rate” and having requested the “survival rate,” Robert confused the two and agreed to move forward with the procedure.

About six hours into the extensive operation, Robert’s wife, Diane, learned that he was among the approximately 20% of patients at the time who survived the Whipple operation. However, the news wasn’t great – in addition to removing a 3-cm adenocarcinoma tumor from the head of Robert’s pancreas, doctors also removed his gallbladder, part of his stomach, a third of his pancreas, his duodenum, common bile duct and 12 lymph nodes, two of which were positive for cancer.

Robert’s surgical recovery was also rough, and several days later, his heart stopped and he flat-lined. Robert later learned he hadn’t received any electrolytes after his surgery, which the heart needed to keep functioning, and this proved to be a pivotal wake-up call for Robert. Determined to take control of his health, he realized that he could no longer rely solely on traditional treatments, signifying the beginning of a significant transformation.

After 10 days in the hospital, Robert continued his recovery at home and began reading as much information as he could find about his condition. He found a book, “Beating Cancer With Nutrition,” by Dr. Patrick Quillen, and found a passage inside he considered particularly impactful.

The passage instructed the reader to picture a tree in the middle of the forest with mold growing on one side of it. You can cut or burn the mold off or spray it with chemicals to try to kill it, and while all of these efforts would remove the mold, unless there was a change to the tree’s environment, the mold would ultimately grow back.

“Whoa, that really made sense!” Robert said. “I had spent my entire life eating badly and neglecting my nutrition; I knew then and there that I needed to change everything about my lifestyle and diet. All of a sudden, I had a roadmap to deal with my cancer.”

With that in mind, Robert began completely overhauling his diet, cutting out pork, beef, hydrogenated oils and fried foods in addition to abstaining from alcohol. While he planned to continue following the advice of his medical professionals, he also took a more active role in his recovery, reading everything he could about the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet.

He also inquired with his doctor about what he should be eating to promote a healthy recovery and felt dismayed when his doctor’s only advice was to eat whatever he wanted, but to try to follow a low-fat diet.

“The medical community seems to be transfixed by pills and procedures,” Robert said. “After all, that’s what they learn in college.”

Deciding to follow the words of Dr. Quillen and several other medical professionals he’d found who believed in a close connection between following a nutritious diet and beating cancer, Robert soon dropped 40 pounds and watched his high cholesterol return to healthy levels.

While overhauling his diet, he continued to follow his doctors’ directions, having six weeks of follow-up chemotherapy and 28 days of radiation. He also began researching and taking a number of different vitamins, minerals and supplements, which he continues to take to this day.

“It may sound strange to say, but the best thing that happened to me was getting cancer,” Robert said. “Today, I am healthier and stronger than I was when I was diagnosed.”

While Robert initially hesitated to publish a book about his experiences as a non-physician, he ultimately decided to move forward, believing that if his words helped someone with their own health struggles, it would be well worth the effort. He published his book, entitled “How I Beat Pancreatic Cancer and Other Bedtime Stories,” in 2018.

Now, six years later and 81 years old, Robert stands by the words he wrote in the book and continues to follow a largely plant-based, vitamin-rich lifestyle. He also encourages people with pancreatic cancer to explore a comprehensive approach to treating the condition, considering not only chemotherapy, surgery and radiation, but also, nutrition.

“We’re all like tiny chemistry sets,” Robert said. Some of us have more of this or less of that than other people, but they often try to treat everybody with a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, and that’s just not the case.”

Robert also encourages people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer today to recognize that such a diagnosis is no longer a death sentence, and that there are steps they can take to empower themselves and improve their quality of life.

“I tell people to get their hands on everything they can possibly read,” Robert said. “Your life is in your hands. Just because someone says, ‘This is the best way,’ you still need to do some research and find out for yourself. Education is very important, and the more you read, the more you learn.”

Robert continues to have annual checkups to monitor his condition and has showed no evidence of disease since 1996.

Have a Comment or Question About Robert Miller?
Share Your Thoughts Using The Form:

One thought on “Robert Miller Pancreatic Cancer Survivor”

  1. Mikki Godfrey says:

    Please share where to buy some of the vitamins such as alph lipid acid and IP6 and selenium.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *