Is pancreatic cancer always fatal?

No, but it's serious: Pancreatic cancer is often fatal because it is not caught early. If the cancer is small and can be completely removed, it can be cured. We have better chemo drugs and better surgeries, but still, 5 years after diagnosis only about 5% of patients are alive. Patients with small tumors have better chances than those with large tumors with spread to lymph nodes.

Depends: The stage of the illness determines the outcome of treatment. I have had patients live for several years from the time of the diagnosis. Others die within weeks of the diagnosis. Not a nice disease.