Claude Feninger

Pancreatic Cancer Patient Stories

Claude Feninger and his wife, Jill

Every patient remembers the day he or she was diagnosed. For Claude Feninger, that date was July 13, 2004. He explained, "Time stopped as I sat across the desk from the doctor at my local hospital who said, who said: 'I'm afraid it's pancreatic cancer.' 'How long do I have?' I asked. His response chilled me: 'At best, six months.'"

"Cancel my other appointments - I'm going to Fox Chase."

"If hope left me on that day in July, then it reappeared in August. That's when I arrived at Fox Chase Cancer Center and met Dr. John P. Hoffman. Though I was already scheduled for upcoming appointments to see doctors at two other prominent Philadelphia hospitals, I told my wife on the way home, 'Cancel my other appointments - I'm going to Fox Chase'," Claude recalled.

Claude believes that in the fight against cancer, half the battle is having total confidence in your doctor and your hospital. "Somehow, in that very first meeting, I knew Dr. Hoffman was the right man; and that Fox Chase was the right place. Dr. Hoffman has that rare combination of technical proficiency (he's done hundreds of 'whipples') and great compassion," said Claude.

After several months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment to shrink the tumor, Claude underwent the eight-hour "whipple" procedure. Dr. Hoffman performs this procedure for appropriate patients with pancreatic cancer. It involves removing the head of the pancreas, some of the small intestine and a portion of the bile duct, before the surgeon rebuilds the digestive tract.

"The nurses who cared for me were wonderfully attentive."

"The nurses who cared for me were wonderfully attentive, competent and nice. I think this is what makes Fox Chase Cancer Center so special: cancer is what they do. They're specialists," Claude explained. He continued, "For example, the nurses who attended to me specialize in dealing with post-op abdominal cancer patients."

When Claude began treatment, he made a promise to himself that if he survived pancreatic cancer, he would accomplish two life goals. First, he would write the memoirs he had been putting off for so long. Second, he would enter himself in the U. S. Squash National Championships. Claude is proud and happy to report that, "I accomplished both goals. I wrote and published my memoirs, (Sang Froid: Keeping My Cool in the International Hotel Business). Then, in March 2006, I placed fourth in the United States in my age bracket (age 80+) at the squash nationals."

"In my opinion, Fox Chase saved my life."

Claude considers himself fortunate to be a pancreatic cancer survivor. "December 2007 marked the third anniversary of my surgery. Would I be alive today if I had gone elsewhere? I can't say for sure. I only know that I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to have landed at Fox Chase Cancer Center. In my opinion, they saved my life," Claude said.