Rose Black Beats Pancreatic Cancer Twice, Now Helps Others

Rose Black ignored her doctor's dismissal of her symptoms in 2009, and that persistence saved her life.

When the St. Clair Shores resident noticed bloating and unexpected weight loss, her doctor waved off her concerns. She kept pushing for answers until he finally ordered a CT scan that revealed a pancreatic tumor. At the time, a pancreatic cancer diagnosis felt like a death sentence.

Black underwent surgery and beat the odds. Then in 2016, the cancer returned.

She fought back again with chemotherapy and a second surgery. Today, she wears a special t-shirt that reads "double survivor," created for her by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN). She wears it often, a badge of hope in a disease where the five-year survival rate hovers at just 13%.

Since 2011, Black and her husband Ron have volunteered with PanCAN, participating in the annual Purplestride fundraising walk each April. They've also lobbied lawmakers to dedicate more resources to fighting the disease. Now Black runs the Survivor's Tent at the events, offering encouragement to newly diagnosed patients and their families.

More than 67,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. The disease remains difficult to catch early because there's no standard screening test, and symptoms often appear vague or get dismissed by doctors.

Renee Clearman knows this reality too well. She chairs Purplestride after losing her mother to pancreatic cancer in 2018, just two years after her diagnosis. Through her work with PanCAN, she's noticed a pattern among survivors who thrive: they stay positive, advocate for themselves, search for clinical trials, and explore every treatment option available.

Sunny's Take

Black's story isn't just about surviving against steep odds twice. It's about what happens when patients trust their instincts and refuse to accept dismissive answers. Her bloating and weight loss could have been written off as nothing serious, but she kept returning to her doctor until he listened. That self-advocacy made the difference between catching her cancer and missing it entirely.

The upcoming Purplestride Michigan event on April 25 at Milliken State Park in Detroit gives survivors, families, and supporters a chance to walk together and raise funds for research. Black will be there, greeting other survivors and sharing her message that sometimes you have to fight for your own healthcare.

Her journey reminds us that survival often depends on speaking up, even when it feels uncomfortable.