Misdiagnosed fatigue led to rare pancreatic tumour; survivor unknowingly carried baby through recovery

Melissa Sullivan, now 45, said she initially attributed months of fatigue, aching muscles and intermittent upper-left abdominal pain to stress during a divorce and a return to sport after a two-year break. A 2011 episode of severe vomiting and lightheadedness led to hospital testing and a CT scan that revealed a mass at the top of her pancreas.

After biopsies and additional scans in April of that year, specialists diagnosed Sullivan with a rare form of pancreatic cancer known as a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm. The tumour, described by doctors as roughly the size of a grapefruit, most commonly affects young women; at the time of her diagnosis, only about 33 people in Australia had been recorded with that subtype, Sullivan told the Daily Mail in a recent interview.

Surgeons recommended a complex pancreatic procedure known as a Whipple operation as Sullivan’s best chance of long-term survival. The surgery required removal of the head of the pancreas, her gallbladder, about half of her stomach and a portion of her small intestine, followed by reconstruction of the remaining digestive tract. Sullivan spent four days in intensive care and 10 days on a general ward, initially tolerating only pureed and baby foods as she recovered.

Doctors informed Sullivan that, because of the tumour’s location, a more aggressive cancer could have left her with only weeks to live. The Whipple surgery was successful and she did not require chemotherapy or radiotherapy, according to her account. She moved in with her parents after discharge so they could assist with childcare and daily tasks while she recuperated.

Two months after the operation Sullivan noticed swelling in her ankles and realised she had not had a menstrual period since the surgery. A specialist told her skipping a period after major surgery could be normal; a home pregnancy test, however, returned positive. A subsequent scan showed she was already about 20 weeks pregnant. Sullivan said clinicians were initially uncertain whether the surgery, anaesthesia or strong pain relief had harmed a developing fetus, but follow-up imaging indicated normal development and her son was born healthy in December of that year. Sullivan and her partner later had a daughter about 18 months afterward.

Sullivan counts herself fortunate to have survived, but she continues to experience long-term health effects. She developed Type 2 diabetes following the pancreatic operation and undergoes biannual medical reviews to monitor for recurrence.

Pancreatic cancer is a major cause of cancer mortality in Australia. Health organisations report it is the eighth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the country and the third deadliest. Fewer than three in 10 people live a year beyond diagnosis and the five-year survival rate is approximately 13 percent, figures organisers cite in promoting awareness and fundraising initiatives.

This September, Pankind’s Remember September campaign is calling for Australians to honour those lost to pancreatic cancer and to support people living with the disease by taking part in commemorative walks. The initiative asks participants to walk 75 kilometres each in memory of the roughly 75 Australians who die from pancreatic cancer every week; Sullivan has pledged to walk 150 kilometres during the month to raise funds for research.

Sullivan’s case highlights clinicians’ warnings that early pancreatic cancer symptoms can be vague and easily attributed to other causes, such as stress, musculoskeletal strain or common gastrointestinal complaints. In her account she described progressive weight gain, intermittent upper-left abdominal pain radiating to the back, dizziness and episodes of lightheadedness that preceded the hospital visit which led to imaging and diagnosis.

Experts advising on pancreatic cancer emphasise that imaging—such as ultrasound and CT scans—and timely follow-up of persistent or unexplained symptoms can be crucial to diagnosis, particularly given the disease’s generally poor prognosis when detected at a late stage. In Sullivan’s situation, a CT scan performed after an initial ultrasound returned no clear result led to the discovery of the pancreatic mass.

Sullivan’s story, while rare in its subtype and outcome, underscores both the challenges of recognising pancreatic disease early and the potential for long-term health consequences even after curative surgery. She continues to balance recovery and chronic disease management with family life and advocacy work aimed at increasing research funding and public awareness of pancreatic cancer.