Pancreatic cancer: Jaundice was the sign I had ‘silent killer’

Stuart O’Neill, a father of two, was ‘lucky’ at 43 when the yellowing of his eyes alerted him to pancreatic cancer, a disease that rarely has symptoms

Stuart O'Neill, who has been treated for pancreatic cancer with a Whipple surgery and chemotherapy. Photogaph Moya Nolan

PANCREATIC cancer affects almost 600 people in Ireland each year. It is slightly more common in men, and the average age of diagnosis is 73. However, Dublin-based businessman Stuart O’Neill was 43 when he was diagnosed in early 2024.

“In December 2023, I was feeling a bit tired and had noticed some changes in the colour of my stools, but I was super busy at work and I had just had covid, so I put it down to that. Christmas came and went, and, in January, I noticed my urine looked very dark yellow. At first, I thought it might be the lighting in the bathroom, but then I noticed that the whites of my eyes were looking yellow, and I thought, ‘Oh, no, this isn’t right.’ ”

O’Neill, who has two young children with his partner, Julie, was immediately concerned and went to A&E at the Mater Hospital.

He spent 10 days at the hospital. “During my time there, doctors carried out a series of scans and tests — an endoscopic scope, MRI, and CT.”

The doctors noticed a blockage in his bile duct, which was causing his jaundice. They inserted a stent, a small tube, into O’Neill’s blocked bile duct to relieve the obstruction while further tests were carried out.

Pancreatic tumours can block the duct and cause symptoms like jaundice, pain, and vomiting. Inserting a stent opens the duct, allowing bile to flow normally and improving symptoms, explains Sarah Egan, a cancer awareness nurse at the Irish Cancer Society.

“I would call my jaundice a lucky symptom,” says O’Neill. “My tumour was so close to the bile duct that it led to jaundice, which I then noticed. My doctors explained that if a pancreatic tumour grows further away from that area, the symptoms often take a lot longer to notice. That’s why pancreatic cancer is often called the silent killer.”

The five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is slowly improving. It was 5% in 1998 and 14% in 2018. However, it remains low compared to other cancers. “That’s mainly because there may be no signs or symptoms in the early stages of pancreatic cancer,” says Egan. “Some 47% of pancreatic cancers are diagnosed at a later stage, where the cancer will have spread to other parts of the body, and it can be harder to treat.”

After the tests at the Mater proved inconclusive, O’Neill was referred to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he met with Professor Emir Hoti, a surgeon with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of liver, biliary, and pancreatic conditions.

He underwent further tests — bloods and a second endoscopy — to determine what was happening. One month after he presented at the A&E, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

At that time, O’Neill’s children were aged just three and one. His first thought on hearing the diagnosis was for them. “It’s not flippant to say I didn’t think of myself, I really just thought of my young kids, and I was upset, but then, after the initial shock, I went straight into action mode, thinking, ‘What can I do now?’ ”

Stuart O'Neill, who has been treated for pancreatic cancer with a Whipple surgery and chemotherapy. Photogaph Moya Nolan

O’Neill’s oncology team, led by Professor Ray McDermott, outlined his treatment plan: Initially, he would undergo an intensive course of chemotherapy for six months. Following the chemotherapy, he would have Whipple surgery, performed by Hoti.

“To help me manage things better mentally, I broke the treatment into different hurdles I would need to face. The first was the chemo, and I knew I needed to feel as well as I possibly could to face it. I started running and eating well, and taking supplements to try and build my energy back up.”

He completed 16 sessions of chemotherapy, and experienced side effects like neuropathy in his fingers, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. He managed these by resting when needed and planning for predictable down days, such as the ones that followed the treatment.

To help himself psychologically, he did a deep dive into research, reading medical journals on pancreatic cancer during his chemo treatment. “Then, on the days I wasn’t getting my chemo, I was able to put that aside and focus on my family and daily life, and my business.”

Just before his diagnosis, O’Neill had launched a new catering business, called The Good Food Store. He already had a restaurant, called Smash It Burger in Dundrum Shopping Centre. With a new business and two young children, life was hectic.

Despite his illness and treatment, O’Neill stayed involved in the day-to-day admin work, which he says gave him focus and distraction.

During his toughest periods, such as after his surgery, his business partner took over the daily management.

After his initial chemotherapy, he underwent Whipple surgery in October 2024 to remove the tumour in his pancreas. “After the surgery, I felt like I’d been hit by a bus. I had been having infections before the surgery and then, with the recovery period after the surgery, I was in hospital for about six weeks in total.”

Support from his family, friends, and Julia got him through this difficult time. “Julia was a great support. She had me to worry about, and two young kids to look after — she was amazing.”

After the surgery, he had to undergo another course of chemotherapy for eight cycles, which continued through to February 2025.

Since then, O’Neill continues to receive regular CT and MRI scans, which he says is reassuring.

“Pancreatic cancer has a high percentage of recurrence. Right now, it’s just about getting through each scan. I only think about it just before each scan, and then, in between the scans, it’s just normal life.”

• November 20, 2025, is World Pancreatic Cancer Day. If you have any questions or concerns about cancer, contact the Irish Cancer Society’s Freephone Support Line on 1800 200 700.
• For more information, visit cancer.ie