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Dr. Clifford Greenbaum Defied a Family Legacy & Became an 18-Year Pancreatic Cancer Survivor
Date of Diagnosis: Summer, 2008
Dr. Clifford Greenbaum is well aware of the odds he’s defied. Diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer in 2008 – a disease that had already claimed the lives of his father and grandfather – Clifford combined conventional medical treatments with major diet and lifestyle changes, and now, 18 years later, he continues to live cancer-free.
Many people with pancreatic cancer have no symptoms at all, but for those who do, jaundice is often among the first signs. This was the case for Clifford, and his wife, Celine, who was well aware of his family’s history with the condition, expressed concern after noticing her husband’s eyes turning yellow and urged him to see his doctor to learn more. Initial tests were negative for cancer, but Clifford and his wife chose to seek a second opinion; a decision that may have saved his life.
Clifford met with Dr. Keith Lillemoe, M.D., then a surgeon and pancreatic cancer specialist at the Indiana University Health University Hospital. The doctor performed an ultrasound and a biopsy. While the biopsy results were negative for cancer, the doctor recommended Clifford undergo a Whipple procedure, a complex surgery sometimes used to treat qualifying pancreatic cancer patients, anyway, due to Clifford’s extensive family history of the condition.
While performing the Whipple, Dr. Lillemoe did, in fact, identify cancer and was able to determine that Clifford had Stage 3 adenocarcinoma. After recovering, Clifford returned to Milwaukee, where he lived and worked at the time, and met with a care team at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, which included Dr. Paul Ritch, M.D.
Clifford began an adjuvant, or after-surgery, chemotherapy regimen using Gemcitabine to reduce the chances of his cancer coming back after surgery. He then had radiation before starting another chemotherapy regimen with Gemcitabine to target any cancer cells that could potentially remain in his body.
Amidst these treatments, Clifford also began making lifestyle changes to support his recovery. He went on a strict anti-inflammatory and no-sugar diet, and he also stopped eating red meat and started taking anti-inflammatory supplements. He made efforts to boost his immunity, increasing his intake of flaxseed, chia seeds, nuts, berries and cruciferous vegetables. He also began speedwalking while undergoing chemo treatments and taking hot baths afterward to help the medication move through his body and target his cancer cells more effectively.
He also began exploring clinical trials, which he was knowledgeable about due to his work in the healthcare industry as a podiatrist. While Clifford had hoped to join a clinical trial, he had a spot on his liver that prevented him from doing so. The spot, however, ultimately turned out to be a non-cancerous cyst.
Clifford also underwent genetic testing as a result of his family history to see if he had any genetic predispositions to pancreatic cancer his four children should know about. However, he tested negative for the BRCA genes, which can indicate an increased risk for pancreatic cancer, and the test didn’t reveal any other clear genetic links to the condition, either.
