What is The Symptoms and Signs of Pancreatic Cancer?

What is The Symptoms and Signs of Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer symptoms often do not appear until the disease is in an advanced stage, thus making early detection difficult. When pancreatic cancer symptoms do appear, they can be vague and non-specific, such as stomach pain and weight loss.

What is the Pancreas?

Pancreatic cancer symptoms can vary based on what part of the pancreas is affected and if it has spread. The pancreas is a gland about 6 inches long that is shaped like a thin pear lying on its side. The wider end of the pancreas is called the head, the middle section is called the body, and the narrow end is called the tail.

The pancreas lies behind the stomach and in front of the spine. It cannot be felt during a physical exam exam and is located behind other organs like the stomach, liver, spleen, gallbladder, and small intestine.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

Below you will find some of the most common pancreatic cancer symptoms:

Yellowing of the Skin and Eyes.

Jaundice, a condition marked by the yellowing of the skin and eyes commonly occurs in people pancreatic cancer. It occurs when an increased level of bilirubin is in the blood. This can occur when a tumor completely or partially blocks bile ducts, slowing the flow of bile.

Abdominal Pain.

Abdominal pain is common symptom of pancreatic cancer. It usually occurs on the upper abdomen and may even radiate to the back. Abdominal pain may worsen when lying down or 3 to 4 hours after eating.

Unintended Weight Loss.

While losing weight without trying may welcomed by many, but it can indicate something is wrong. Again, unintended weight loss is a common symptom of pancreatic cancer and one that is usually one of the first symptom experienced along with abdominal pain. Weight loss is common in many types of cancer and other benign conditions.

Nausea/Vomiting.

Again, another vague symptom of pancreatic cancer that is common among many other conditions. Non-specific symptoms, like nausea, often result in a delay in a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Loss of Appetite.

Appetite loss is a symptom of hundreds of diseases and conditions, including pancreatic cancer. It can signal something severe or even be related to something as small as a stomach virus. When symptoms are vague like this, medical tests are necessary to make an accurate diagnosis.

Itchy Skin.

Itchy skin is a less common symptom of pancreatic cancer. Again, a vague symptom, but when coupled with another symptom like abdominal pain or jaundice, it can be significant in making a more accurate, timely diagnosis. Unfortunately, when someone with undiagnosed pancreatic cancer is experiencing itchy skin, it is often misdiagnosed as a dermatological condition.

Unexpected Onset of Diabetes.

In some cases, pancreatic cancer may impede the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin, resulting in diabetes. It is important note that most people develop diabetes because of reasons unrelated to pancreatic cancer.

Changes in Stool and Urine Color.

Urine may become much darker, while stools loser their brown color, becoming a pale, clay color. This is often due to the bile duct being blocked. Stools can also have a odd, strong smell. Unsure of what your symptoms may be? Try the Symptom Checker to see what your symptoms could mean.

In this excerpt, provided by UpToDate– an electronic resource used by many patients and their doctors looking for in-depth medical information– you can see how the location of a tumor can impact symptoms a person may experience:

    * Symptoms vary depending upon where the pancreatic cancer is located. Cancers that develop in the head of the pancreas tend to block the drainage of bile from the liver to the intestines and typically cause jaundice. In contrast, tumors that arise in the body or tail are less likely to cause jaundice and more often cause abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea.

What to Do If You Have Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, see your doctor. Even if they are not related to pancreatic cancer in the end, they are symptoms that do warrant a medical evaluation. More than likely, you do not have pancreatic cancer. You should know that pancreatic cancer is rare — only 38,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed in 2008.

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What is The Causes of Pancreatic Cancer

What is The Causes of Pancreatic Cancer

Cancer is a group of diseases. More than 100 different types of cancer are known, and several types of cancer can develop in the pancreas. They all have one thing in common: abnormal cells grow and destroy body tissue.

Healthy cells that make up the body’s tissues grow, divide, and replace themselves in an orderly way. This process keeps the body in good repair. Sometimes, however, some cells lose the ability to control their growth. They grow too rapidly and without any order. Too much tissue is made, and tumors are formed. Tumors can be benign or malignant.

Benign tumors are not cancer. They do not spread to other parts of the body and are seldom a threat to life. Often, benign tumors can be removed by surgery, and they are not likely to return.

Malignant tumors are cancer. They can invade and destroy nearby healthy tissues and organs. Cancer cells also can break away from the tumor and spread to other parts of the body. The spread of cancer is called metastasis.

Cancer that starts in the pancreas is called pancreatic cancer. When pancreatic cancer spreads, it usually travels through the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system includes a network of thin tubes that branch, like blood vessels, into tissues all over the body.

Cancer cells are carried through these vessels by lymph, a colorless, watery fluid that carries cells that fight infection. Along the network of lymphatic vessels are groups of small, bean-shaped organs called lymph nodes. Surgeons often remove lymph nodes near the pancreas to learn whether they contain cancer cells.

Cancer cells can also be carried through the bloodstream to the liver, lungs, bone, or other organs. Pancreatic cancer that spreads to other organs is called metastatic pancreatic cancer.

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