“Creativity takes courage…”
Henri Matisse
Cancer of the duodenum is rare, and pretty nasty. It might be an adenocarcinoma, a neuroendocrine tumour (NET), a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a lymphoma, or even a metastatic tumour from somewhere else (melanoma being the most common). The usual surgical therapy has been a pancreatico-duodenectomy, a so called Whipples procedure. This is a major surgery, carrying a mortality rate of up to 5% even in 2026. The biliary tree and GI tract have to be reconstructed, and things can easily go south. We don’t know what type of duodenal tumour Henri Matisse had, but we know had surgery for one in 1941, and we know it did not go well. Recurrent pulmonary emboli, anastomotic leaks and a severe necrotic abdominal wall infection, nearly took his life. Matisse was never able to stand or walk again, spending much of his time in bed. Undaunted, he took to making wall murals by cutting shapes from coloured paper with scissors. The last 13 years of Matisse’s life was referred to as his Decoupage phase. #wherethereisawill #letsmakelemonade
Pen Paint and Scalpel 