I am so sorry for your father's diagnosis. My mother passed 12-09-2004. She was diagnosed and had the Whipple in 2-02. We didn't have any bad news again until 8-04. She was told that the chemo wasn't working anymore and they tried a new one. It ended up being too harsh on her and she went home on hospice on 11-14-04. She lasted 3 weeks and it seemed so long and I wondered why God let her stay for so long. It was so hard to watch her deteriorate. In retrospect, it was so quick. I am greatful for our talks and the fact that she shared everything she was feeling and that she was ready to go. We reassured eachother that we were both going to be okay in the end. I cry all the time still and it took about a month after she died for the sadness to set in, becuz I was so busy with all of her arrangements, but in the end, I know she is still all around me due to the fact that we had talked about what to look for to know she was there. I listened to her tell me all about the spirits around her near the end and the miraculous things she saw. It calmed all my fears about her dying and also when it comes time for me, I now know I won't be alone. I can only tell you of my experience but one thing I have to say, is no matter what, say what you need to say and listen to what he has to say. Cry when you need to and have faith in the fact that no matter what his outcome is, he will always be with you. I feel for your sorrow and I wish that there was something I could say to make it better. Everyday someone is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and since this disease has been researched there hasn't been an improvement in the mortality rate. If you put 33,000 people in a room 4 will survive. Do your research and look into clinical trials and get every opinion out there. When doing my numerous research I realized that 90% of the survivors had radiation and chemo before they got the whipple procedure. I think it helps becuz it shrinks the tumor away from the major arteries, so that when they remove the tumor they can actually get all of it. Is your father a candidate for the Whipple procedure? I would definately get the chemo and radiation first and then do you work on finding out about the whipple. Please let me know where your path leads you and I pray everyday that they find a cure. I know it is too late for my mom but maybe not for someone else's loved one. It is a horrible cancer to have but the more people bring attention to it, the better. As far as the tumor markers, it depends on the doctor, some doctor's don't put a lot on the tumor marker tests.