How did the atkins diet work for you? was it hard planning the meals?

I have not, nor will ever, use the Atkins. I had a real good friend use it for weight-loss, and yes, it worked, BUT,...she died of pancreatic cancer. Doing reaearch on pancreatic cancer, I found repeated warnings against extreme high-protein diets (And what IS the Atkins but a high-protein diet?) as a potential cause thereof. I can't prove that hers was caused BY the Atkins diet, but I am strongly suspicious.