What Happened To Ben Sasse's Face? Former Senator Reveals Bloody Skin From Experimental Pancreatic Cancer Drug

Former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse has spoken candidly about the visible and painful side effects of the experimental drug he is taking for Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. In a New York Times interview published on 9 April 2026, the 54-year-old father of three detailed how daraxonrasib has caused his skin to break down, leaving his face bloody and feeling as if it has been exposed to nuclear forces.

The treatment, part of a clinical trial, comes after his diagnosis with the aggressive disease in December 2025, which he initially described as a death sentence.

The Diagnosis and Decision to Fight

Sasse, who represented Nebraska in the Senate for eight years until 2023 and later served as president of the University of Florida until 2024, first noticed severe back pain. Scans revealed tumours filling his torso, with the cancer already metastasised to Stage 4. Physicians estimated he had only three to four months left, telling him his torso was chock-full of tumours.

Rather than accepting the prognosis, Sasse joined a trial for daraxonrasib at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The drug is an oral targeted therapy developed by Revolution Medicines to inhibit the mutant proteins common in pancreatic cancer cases.

Early results have been encouraging for Sasse, with his tumour volume reduced by roughly 80 per cent. He has lowered his morphine intake from an initial 55 milligrams daily to about 30 milligrams.

The 'Nasty Drug' Behind the Visible Changes

'I take it orally, but it's a nasty drug,' Sasse said in the interview. 'It causes crazy stuff like my body can't grow skin and so I bleed all out of a whole bunch of parts of me that shouldn't be bleeding.' His face, prominently featured in the podcast video with visible dried blood, has borne the brunt of the side effects. Sasse likened the appearance to the result of acid or electric shocks and said the skin on his face feels 'nuclear'.

The medication inhibits normal skin regeneration, resulting in bleeding and a bubbling effect on his torso as well. He continues to experience occasional waves of nausea and lingering fatigue. As an experimental therapy in early clinical stages, daraxonrasib offers hope for extending survival beyond standard chemotherapy.

Living with Terminal Illness at 54

Sasse, a father of three, has stepped away from his role as president of the University of Florida, which he left in 2024 following his wife's epilepsy diagnosis. He has spoken of finding clarity and peace through his Christian faith amid the diagnosis. 'I've continued to feel a peace about the fact that death is something that we should hate,' he said in the interview. 'We should call it a wicked thief. And yet, it's pretty good that you pass through the veil of tears one time and then there will be no more tears, there will be no more cancer'.

At 54, with the diagnosis now more than 100 days old, he remains committed to the trial while acknowledging the cancer's spread. As of 10 April 2026, Sasse continues his treatment regimen. His openness about what happened to his face has highlighted the human cost of experimental therapies.

Sasse first shared the news of his diagnosis on X last December, announcing he had metastasised Stage 4 pancreatic cancer and stating he was 'gonna die'.