Second Opinion Saves Charles’ Life After Pancreatic Tumor Diagnosis

In 2017, Charles Koslowsky, 70, learned he had a rare form of pancreatic cancer. It had metastasized to his liver.

Not knowing what the future held, his first instinct was to connect with the people closest to him. He got into his car and drove 2,700 miles to see his family and friends, to tell them how much they meant to him.

Charles returned home and his second instinct kicked in.

“I wanted to do everything I could to fight,” he says.

Charles wanted a second opinion. That decision gave him eight more years—and counting.

Treating the incurable

Charles was diagnosed with neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer, which originates in the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas. After his initial diagnosis, Charles called the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion.

They were honest: What Charles had was not curable, but it was treatable.

“I think that's a hard needle to thread sometimes—to not promise people things that you can't deliver on,” Charles says. “And I took that as good news, because I just wasn't ready to quit.”

Charles received treatments for several years, including surgery to remove many of his tumors. A few discernable tumors remained, requiring long-term monitoring.

In 2021, Charles moved from Arizona to Kansas. Needing to find a new oncologist, he asked his primary care physician for a referral to Saint Luke’s and their exceptional cancer program. That’s how Charles connected with Marc Roth, MD, hematology oncologist at Saint Luke’s Cancer Institute.

Charles started monthly octreotide injections—a hormone inhibitor—to limit tumor growth. In 2025, his tumors stopped responding to the injections, so Dr. Roth proposed LUTATHERA®, a targeted radioactive therapy specifically for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) found in the gut or pancreas. The treatment was new to Saint Luke’s, but it offered hope.

Charles would receive four LUTATHERA® treatments, led by Sunpreet Rakhra, MD, Saint Luke’s radiation oncologist.

“The coordination between Dr. Roth and Dr. Rakhra was seamless,” Charles says. “The care teams were as professional and kind as they can be. They stopped by six times during that six-hour period, and their care was phenomenal.”

Charles had a three-hour drive each way to get his treatment. On the drive home after his first session, he pulled over in Topeka to assess how his body reacted.

“I had zero side effects after the first session,” Charles says. “I was more nervous than anything else. Subsequent bloodwork showed no elevated issues with my liver or kidneys. Then I sailed through the other treatments.”

Across the finish line

In August 2025, Charles became the first Saint Luke’s patient to finish the LUTATHERA® therapy. The results were promising: His largest tumor shrunk 20–25%, the small tumors remained stable, and there were no new growths.

“This is a great outcome for Charles,” Dr. Roth says. “He is back on monthly octreotide injections, with regular scans to monitor his progress. Going forward, we hope LUTATHERA® will benefit other patients with neuroendocrine tumors.”

Charles has gone through so much in his cancer treatments, but it has all led to eight more years of memories. That has made it all worth it.

“I was not a young man, but I still felt like I had some years left when I got my diagnosis,” he says. “I had children, grandchildren, and a job I loved—all of that was going to come to an end if I didn’t try.”

In recent years, Charles has found joy in volunteering and being present for his two children, three grandsons, and the extended family he’s gained through his fiancée.

Charles looks at his life now and sees what he would have missed if he hadn’t looked for a second opinion: the sporting events, the recitals, a new life partner.

Sometimes one call—and the right care team—can make all the difference.

Saint Luke’s Clinical Trials

Research is fundamental to our work in providing innovative treatments to patients like Charles. With our clinical trial agreement with internationally recognized WashU Medicine, we offer numerous National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials and industry-led studies to our patients.