64 SEENA MAGOWITZ FOUNDATION Pancreatic Cancer Warriors STANLEY VITIKAS WARRIOR & FUNDRAISER Passionate Fighter Against Pancreatic Cancer DE BRA G E LBART | CONTRI BUTI NG WRITER

Pancreatic Cancer Warriors SEENA MAGOWITZ FOUNDATION 65 Stan Vitikas of Chandler, Arizona has always had an analytical mind, and that may have contributed to his being an 11-year survivor of pancreatic cancer. He’s been an engineer and a supply chain manager and now a professor at Arizona State University. He reads everything he can about a subject he’s interested in. He advocates continually for a cause he passionately believes in. THE DEFINING MOMENTS In March 2008, Vitikas was told he had a small mass in his pancreas. He had a biopsy that indicated the mass was “suspicious” for adenocarcinoma. He was sched - uled for the Whipple procedure in May of that year. “It’s hard to submit to a Whipple when they’re not certain you have cancer, but you also know the risk of waiting,” he said. By that time, he had spent “literally thousands of hours reading about pancreatic cancer” and was comfortable that he was taking the correct next step. His surgeon removed a two-centimeter tumor that was identified as a Stage 1, Grade 3 adenocarcinoma. “The fight was on,” Vitikas said. Doctors aren’t sure why Vitikas was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but it may have arisen from chronic pancreatitis. After he had surgery, he underwent six months of chemotherapy and 30 days of radiation therapy. Viti - kas attributes his survival to his surgeon at the Mayo Clinic, Adyr Moss, M.D. “He’s a brilliant doctor—be - yond capable and physically skilled,” Vitikas said. “He told me he was confident he had removed every bit of the cancer. He told me, ‘You’re gonna live to be 80 and die from something else.’ That gave me the hope I needed.” Four years later, Vitikas began experiencing complica - tions related to residual scarring, resulting in several bouts of acute pancreatitis. He underwent a second Whipple procedure in January 2013. “That was really hard to face, but I was mostly pain-free for another five years.” In 2018 several bouts of pancreatitis resurfaced, and by February 2019 he was hospitalized again with severe pancreatitis due to another blockage and surgery wasn’t an alternative. Mayo endoscopist Norio Fukami, M.D. dilated the stricture and inserted multiple stents via a complex procedure through the stomach. “It’s been a journey,” Vitikas said, “but once again I was fortunate to have access to the skills of a world-class doctor.” A BRIGHT FUTURE Vitikas is a long-time advocate for fighting pancreatic cancer. He previously volunteered with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, lobbying for congressional funding and sharing his story. He also is a patient liaison volunteer, offering emotional support to newly diagnosed pancreatic cancer patients. “I want to share my success story because hope is the most important thing when you’re facing this diagnosis.” Vitikas became an advocate and fundraiser for the Seena Magowitz Foundation after he was moved by Roger Magowitz’s call to action: “If not me, then who?” Vitikas said he’s “been lucky enough to survive, so if not me, then who could I ask to step up and raise money for this cause?” Through the 2018 Seena Magowitz Foundation’s Annual Golf Classic, Vitikas has now raised more than $100,000 for the Foundation by asking others to donate. MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TWELVE YEARS LATER