Ben Sasse, a former Republican Senator, has disclosed his diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer. He has shared signs and symptoms to be aware of.
In a statement made on Tuesday (December 23), Sasse acknowledged that he has ‘less time’ remaining than he would like.
The 53-year-old posted an extensive health update on X just days prior to Christmas.
“This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die,” he expressed.
“Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too – we all do,” he further stated.
Friends-
This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.
Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence.…
— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) December 23, 2025
Sasse, who represented Nebraska in the Senate from 2015 to 2023 before becoming the president of the University of Florida, is a father to three children, Corrie, Alex, and Breck, with his wife Melissa.
Sharing his reflection on his family’s significance, he mentioned: “I couldn’t be more grateful to constantly get to bear-hug this motley crew of sinners and saints.”
According to the American Cancer Society, over 67,000 adults in the United States are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year.
Men face a one in 56 chance of developing this disease during their lifetime.
Pancreatic cancer affects the small organ responsible for regulating blood sugar and aiding digestion by producing hormones such as insulin and digestive enzymes.
This type of cancer is one of the most lethal, mainly because it is seldom detected early.
Mayo Clinic states that pancreatic cancer often produces few or no symptoms until it has already progressed. When symptoms finally emerge, they may include:
Doctors use cancer staging to describe the size of a cancer and the extent of its spread in the body.
As explained by Facing Pancreatic Cancer, stage four indicates that the disease has metastasized or spread from the pancreas to other body parts, with tumors varying in size. This is also referred to as advanced or metastatic cancer. Symptoms often appear late, leading to many pancreatic cancer patients being diagnosed at this stage.
At stage four, pancreatic cancer often spreads to the liver, lungs, abdominal wall, bones, or distant lymph nodes, and patients typically require chemotherapy.
If you have been affected by these issues and wish to speak to someone confidentially, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or through their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.