Bruce Paul Allen (left) with Andrew Lowy, MD (right), following his recovery from a Whipple procedure for pancreatic cancer at UC San Diego Health. Photo courtesy of the Allen Family
Allen was referred to Andrew Lowy, MD, professor in the Department of Surgery and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and clinical director for cancer surgery at UC San Diego Health.
It was decided that Lowy would perform a Whipple procedure, one of the most challenging surgeries in pancreatic care. The operation removes the tumor along with part of the pancreas, small intestine, gallbladder, and bile duct, then reconnects the digestive system to restore normal function.
Allen underwent surgery in May 2024. His recovery was challenging, but with the support of his multidisciplinary care team at UC San Diego Health, including nurses and pain management specialists, he gradually regained his strength.
While Bruce’s tumor was not cancerous, it carried a high likelihood of becoming malignant. Pancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., has just a 13% five-year survival rate, which emphasizes the importance of early detection and expert surgical care.
“Bruce’s case is remarkable from a clinical standpoint,” said Lowy. “His proactive approach to donation led to an early diagnosis of the tumor. His overall health allowed us to perform a lifesaving procedure. It’s a powerful example of how early detection and expert care can change outcomes.”
Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health is the region’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer center, a distinction held by fewer than 60 centers nationwide. UC San Diego Health is also recognized as a National Pancreas Foundation Center of Excellence for pancreatic cancer care, a designation for premier medical centers that provide high-quality, team-based approaches to pancreatic disease.
In addition, Moores Cancer Center is the clinical coordinating center for the Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection and Evaluation (PRECEDE) Consortium, the nation’s largest early detection study of its kind for pancreatic cancer.
By spring 2025, Allen returned to the transplant center and asked the question that had been on his mind since the beginning: Could he still be a kidney donor?
“To my amazement, the answer was yes,” Allen said. “After everything I had been through, it felt like life was giving me a second chance to give back.”
After passing another full and thorough round of medical testing, Allen was cleared for donation. Just three weeks later, he gave his kidney to a stranger in need as an altruistic donor, completing the journey he had begun nearly two years earlier. He became the first patient at UC San Diego Health, and one of very few ever reported nationally, to successfully donate a kidney after undergoing a Whipple procedure to remove a precancerous pancreatic tumor.
