Bookstore owner Vicky Titcomb had no reason to suspect anything was out of the ordinary when she went to General Brigham’s Mass for a ceremony. cardiac analysis in March 2025.
The 72-year-old Cape Cod bookstore owner and great-grandmother was feeling healthy. The scan was just a routine errand she had to run before heading to New York to visit her son. After the test was completed, Titcomb traveled to New York. She didn’t think about the ultrasound again until she received a call from her internist on the last day of her visit.
The doctor had alarming news: there was an abnormality in his pancreas. Further testing would be needed, but she probably had pancreatic cancerone of the deadliest types of cancer.
“I felt like my life had just changed in that moment,” Titcomb said. “It was a very strange feeling.”
But this wasn’t Titcomb’s first experience with a scary diagnosis. She was treated for breast cancer in 2012. Then, she became worried. This time, she decided to stay positive. When tests confirmed that she had pancreatic cancershe chose not to seek the often fatal diagnosis.
Vicky Titcomb 
“I’ve seen some terrible, terrible information about this,” Titcomb said. “I completely ruled it out, because it was too much to take on.”
Develop an aggressive treatment plan
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of the disease, as it is often diagnosed after it has spread to other organs. The 5-year overall survival rate for the disease is 13%. In its Cancer Progress 2026 report, the American Association for Cancer Research noted that while most cancer survival rates are increasing, pancreatic cancer statistics have seen little improvement despite treatment progress.
In addition to pancreatic cancer, Titcomb also suffered from stage 1 breast cancer requiring treatment and a mass on her ovary. The ovarian mass was treated first: Titcomb had the organ removed and a test showed the mass was benign.
Only breast and pancreatic cancers remained. Cancer specialists at Mass General Brigham have developed a plan to treat as many of Titcomb’s diseases as possible. This would start with chemotherapy and radiotherapy to shrink the tumors.
Vicky Titcomb 
“I was told the size of the (pancreatic) cancer was about the size of a grape. The goal, for me, was to try to make this cancer a raisin,” Titcomb said. “That’s how I visualized it.”
If all went well, Titcomb would undergo a procedure known as Whipple, in which surgeons would remove the head of the pancreas, the first part of the small intestine, the gallbladder and bile duct, then rejoin the organs to allow the digestive system to function. The surgery is complex, but Titcomb was happy to be eligible: Only about 1 in 5 pancreatic cancer patients have a disease that can be treated with a Whipple. Titcomb early diagnosis made it an option for her.
“If I hadn’t had that scan when I did it, the result would have been bad,” Titcomb said.
Dealing with multiple treatments
Titcomb began chemotherapy in June, receiving eight doses over four months. This was followed by three weeks of radiotherapy and further rounds of chemotherapy. Surgical oncologist Dr. Thomas Clancy, who oversaw Titcomb’s care, said she tolerated the treatments “very well.” Chemotherapy and radiation were successful in shrinking the cancer, he said, allowing him to schedule a Whipple.
On November 4, Titcomb underwent surgery to treat her breast cancer. A little over two weeks later, Clancy performed the robot Whipple. The operation is difficult on a patient, Clancy said, although the robotic approach allows for smaller incisions and a quicker recovery time. But Titcomb felt confident because it was scheduled for World Pancreatic Cancer Day.
Mayo Clinic 
“I was sure Dr. Clancy chose me for that day because he was happy with the outcome, because you don’t want anyone to do bad things on World Pancreatic Cancer Day,” Titcomb joked.
It turned out the timing was just a coincidence. However, the operation was a success. Titcomb said she was up and walking that night.
After several days of recovery in the hospital, Titcomb returned home. Two weeks later, she returned for a follow-up appointment. Clancy confirmed she was healing well. But because pancreatic cancer is so aggressive, Clancy recommended she receive two more months of chemotherapy.
“There was a lot going on,” Titcomb said. “I just tried to cope with the day to day.”
“Luck conquers all”
After several additional rounds of treatment, Clancy was able to tell Titcomb in March 2026 that she had no signs of cancer. She will continue to have checkups every three months, but he hopes she will “spend as little time as possible thinking about it.”
“She’s living her life. I usually tell patients at this point, ‘You’re done with therapy…you move on with your days,'” Clancy said. “The goal is to not think about it all the time.”
Titcomb said she tried to do just that. She’s getting back into the routine of running her bookstore, which family members helped run while she was in treatment. She spends time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Those who are far away flood him with photos, videos and phone calls.
Vicky Titcomb 
Titcomb also works to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer and treatment advancements. She has addressed lawmakers on behalf of the American Cancer Society and works with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network to share her own story and uplift others.
“I’ve benefited from tremendous advances in cancer treatment. People kept telling me that 10 years ago it would have been a different story,” Titcomb said. “Progress has been made that people who have worked on pancreatic cancer their whole lives have never seen. I feel so lucky. Luck trumps all.”
Gn Health
