Cancer Studies > Pancreatic Cancer > Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

Pancreatic cancer symptoms often do not appear until the disease is advanced, making early detection difficult. When pancreatic cancer symptoms appear, they can be vague and nonspecific, such as stomach pain and weight loss.

Pancreatic cancer symptoms can vary, depending on what parts of the pancreas are damaged and if it has spread. The pancreas is a gland, about 6 inches long, that is the form of a thin pear lying on its side. The wider end of the pancreas is called the head, the middle part 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 and exam is located behind other organs such as stomach, liver, spleen, gallbladder, and small intestine.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

Here are some of the most common pancreatic cancer symptoms:

  1. Yellowing of the skin and eyes. Jaundice, a condition characterized by yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes usually occurs in people pancreatic cancer. It occurs when an increased level of bilirubin in the blood. This can happen when a tumor in whole or in part blocks biliary tract, slowing the flow of bile.
  2. Abdominal pain. Abdominal pain is common symptom of pancreatic cancer. It is usually 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.
  3. Unintended Weight Loss. While losing weight without trying is welcomed by many, but there is something wrong. Again, unintentional weight loss is a common symptom of pancreatic cancer and one that is usually one of the first symptoms experienced with abdominal pain. Weight loss is common in many types of cancer and other favorable conditions.
  4. Nausea/Vomiting. Again, another vague symptom of pancreatic cancer that is common among many other conditions. Non-specific symptoms such as nausea often result in a delay in a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
  5. Loss of appetite. Loss of appetite is a symptom of hundreds of diseases and disorders, including pancreatic cancer. The signal can be serious or even anything to do with something as small as a stomach virus. If the symptoms are vague as this, medical tests are necessary to an accurate diagnosis.
  6. Itchy skin. Itchy skin is a less common symptom of pancreatic cancer. Again, a vague symptom, but when combined with other symptoms such as abdominal pain or jaundice, may be important in making a more accurate, timely diagnosis. Unfortunately, when someone with undiagnosed pancreatic cancer itchy skin is facing, it is often misdiagnosed as a dermatological disorder.
  7. Unexpected development of diabetes. In some cases, pancreatic cancer impedes the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin, resulting in diabetes. It is important to note that most people develop diabetes due to reasons unrelated to pancreatic cancer.
  8. Changes in the stool and urine color. Urine may become darker, while the loser stool their brown color, a pale clay color. This is often due to the bile duct is blocked. Stools may be a strange, strong odor. Unsure of what your symptoms could be? Try the Symptom Checker to find out what your symptoms could mean.

If you experience 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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