Craig Adelman

Like many with pancreatic cancer, Craig didn’t develop any obvious symptoms before his November 2023 diagnosis. Instead, he had his cancer identified during its early stages after his primary care doctor in Palm Springs, California, where he owned a summer home, noticed a small cyst in his pancreas and performed an MRI to learn more.

Craig’s PCP quickly referred him to Dr. Vikram Kanagala, a Rancho Mirage, California-based gastroenterologist, for a biopsy, leading to the diagnosis of early-stage pancreatic cancer. Dr. Kanagala then sent Craig to Dr. Doug Evans at the Medical College of Wisconsin, one of the nation’s leading pancreatic cancer surgeons. Dr. Kanagala had previously worked alongside Dr. Evans as a fellow, so he’d seen the doctor’s skill and patient dedication firsthand.

Craig soon met with Dr. Evans and began nine months of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Craig made a point to stay active along the way by taking daily swims, practicing Pilates and otherwise building up strength to make treatment easier to tolerate. He tolerated his treatments relatively well, and by the time he completed chemo and radiation, Dr. Evans and his team decided Craig was ready for surgery.

Dr. Evans performed a Whipple procedure in August of 2024, with Craig commending the care he received from both Dr. Evans and his entire staff. After spending about a week recovering in the hospital, Craig went home. He gradually eased back into his daily routine, increasing his exercise and adjusting to taking pancreatic enzymes with meals to make them more digestible. While many people develop diabetes after a Whipple procedure, this wasn’t the case for Craig, and he’s been lucky in that he’s been able to enjoy a relatively normal diet in the year since his surgery. Now cancer-free, Craig continues to see Dr. Evans every four months for follow-ups and lab work.

Between visits with Dr. Evans, he’s enjoying retirement and time with loved ones after spending 25 years as the CEO of a large travel company. He’s also been taking trips with family, including one to London for the first week of Wimbledon and upcoming visits to Palm Beach, Florida, and Thailand.

Craig is grateful for the support system he had during and after treatment, which included his son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. He’s also working at dispelling some of the common misconceptions about pancreas cancer, like the assumption that it prevents people from leading and enjoying normal lives.