Pancreatic cancer is a very common form of cancer that affects well over 200,000 people every year in the U.S. This cancer begins in the organ known as the pancreas, which is situated just behind the lower portion of the stomach. The pancreas is an essential gland within the body that works by secreting certain enzymes that help with the digestion of foods you eat as well as the metabolism of different sugars. If you have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the early or middle stages of the disease, there’s a decent chance that you will be able to fight the cancer with treatment. The methods that are most commonly used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer include removing the pancreas altogether via surgery as well as chemotherapy and radiation.
While pancreatic cancer does come with possible treatments, the causes of this disease are unknown, although there are some risk factors that make you more susceptible to the development of it. If you smoke cigarettes, the chance of contracting this cancer doubles, while nearly 80 percent of everyone who suffers from this disease are between the ages of 60 and 80. If you’ve suffered from other diseases such as chronic inflammation within the pancreas or diabetes mellitus, it’s possible that you could eventually develop this cancer.
1. Abdomen Pain
By far the most common symptom associated with pancreatic cancer is the presence of pain within the abdomen, which is basically the central area surrounding your stomach. The reason for this pain is due to the fact that the pancreas is located just behind the lower portion of the stomach. Since symptoms for pancreatic cancer don’t develop in the early stages of the disease, it’s likely that you won’t notice this pain until you’re in the later stages of the cancer. This pain and discomfort will typically radiate towards the back, particularly the middle portion of your back, making it very noticeable, as going about your everyday routine will be more difficult than usual.
Although this symptom is common when it comes to pancreatic cancer, it only occurs when the pancreas becomes inflamed and pancreatitis develops. When this pain occurs, it will be sudden and new without any notable precursor to it, though it will also be dull in intensity. When looking out for abdominal pain as it relates to pancreatic cancer, you should be aware of the fact that this pain usually worsens after eating meals, especially if the type of food that you ate was fatty or greasy in nature.
2. Middle Back Pain
Middle back pain is a symptom that is common with this cancer and can occur for a couple of reasons. The primary reason that you may suffer from this type of pain is due to the aforementioned abdominal pain that radiates to the middle of your back. The pain will usually be dull and constant, but it can flare up after doing strenuous activities or when eating. Another common reason for middle back pain as it relates to pancreatic cancer is due to the tumor affecting the nerves that are located just behind the pancreas, causing a substantial amount of pain towards the center of your back.
3. Fluid in the Abdomen
When fluid develops within the abdomen, there is a good chance that it’s due to the presence of pancreatic cancer. This fluid development is commonly referred to as ascites, while 10 percent of all ascites cases are due to pancreatic cancer. When going through this symptom, your belly will swell up and become bloated. While it can occur at any time during the course of pancreatic cancer, it’s commonly present in the advanced stages of the disease and will take place when the cancer has spread from its original site in the pancreas over to the lining of the abdomen.
4. Nausea
Some of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer, such as nausea, can be due to the effects of the cancer itself or because of the treatment that you’re receiving once you’ve been diagnosed with this cancer. This symptom is a standard feeling of sickness that makes you feel as though you need to vomit. This symptom can also make you feel unfocused and unsteady. Since it’s is a common symptom when it comes to many diseases and sicknesses, the presence of this symptom doesn’t automatically indicate that you’re suffering from cancer of the pancreas, but it can if it’s present alongside some other symptoms on this list.
5. Fatigue
There are many causes for fatigue when you’re going through cancer, which is why it’s among the most common symptom of this disease. Fatigue is an unusual and extreme amount of tiredness that will have you feeling listless. Due to the way in which the pancreas helps with digestion, the cancer will adversely affect the digestion of the food that you eat, which invariably causes fatigue to worsen. The general signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer, such as a loss of appetite and abdominal pain, can also take a toll on your body and cause you to feel more fatigued than is normal.
6. Loss of Appetite
The loss of appetite that typically accompanies this cancer is largely a symptom of another symptom. If you suffer from jaundice, which is the yellowing of skin at different areas of your body, the presence of this symptom can cause you to lose your appetite, as can the standard fatigue and nausea that can come with this cancer as it enters the latter stages of the disease. If you haven’t eaten in a while but are starting to notice that you have no appetite, it could be due to the presence of pancreatic cancer. Despite your loss of appetite, it’s important that you continue to consume enough calories to provide you with the best chance of fighting this disease.
7. Dark Urine
This is among the more complex signs and symptoms that usually occurs when you develop jaundice, which is another symptom of pancreatic cancer. Jaundice develops due to the blockage of a bile duct within your body, which is a tube-like structure that is used for the digestion of food alongside the pancreas. When this blockage occurs, several additional symptoms will display themselves, one of which is a painless dark urine. When the darkening of your urine has been caused by pancreatic cancer, it will typically appear as a very dark yellow or orange color and won’t dissipate until the jaundice has been treated.
8. Weight Loss
As is the case with nausea and pain in the abdomen, weight loss almost always occurs with this form of cancer. This weight loss will typically be unexplained and occur for no reason at all, making it especially noticeable as a symptom if you haven’t worked out much recently yet are losing a substantial amount of weight. The loss of appetite and nausea that you can suffer from makes weight loss inevitable. The presence of a tumor in your pancreas could also be causing the weight loss that you’re going through, as it can cause the body to burn more calories than usual.
9. Yellow Skin
Along with dark urine, this symptom occurs when you start to suffer from jaundice and can be focused on any area of your body, although the yellowing of the skin is most prevalent on the face and around the eyes. It occurs when there is too much bilirubin within your system, which is a yellow pigment that typically gets flushed from your body when your liver is acting normally. However, the blocking of your bile duct can put a stop to this process and cause your skin to turn a faint yellow. This form of jaundice can be readily treated.
10. Yellow Eyes
When your skin becomes yellow, it’s common for the whites of your eyes to become yellow as well, which makes this symptom one of the more noticeable of pancreatic cancer. However, the jaundice can occur for any number of reasons, which is why you shouldn’t immediately jump to the conclusion that it’s due to this cancer. If you suffer from yellow skin and yellow eyes, there’s a good chance that one or more of the other symptoms on this list could be affecting you as well, which is something that you’ll want to report to your doctor during your next visit.
