When cancer of the pancreas first develops, it rarely causes any symptoms. This means you may not notice any symptoms until the cancer has become relatively advanced. The symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be caused by a variety of conditions, and so it can be difficult to diagnose.
Some of the most common early symptoms are outlined below.
Pain
Pancreatic cancer can cause pain and discomfort in your upper abdomen, which sometimes spreads to your back. At first, the pain may come and go, but as the cancer becomes larger, and more advanced, you may find that the pain is more constant, and lasts for longer.
The pain pancreatic cancer causes is often worse when you are lying down or eating. This type of pain tends to affect people whose tumour has formed in either the body or tail of the pancreas.
Weight loss
Many types of cancer can cause you to lose weight. You may also lose your appetite. This is because the cancerous cells deprive your healthy cells of the nutrients they need.
However, pancreatic cancer is more likely to cause weight loss than some other cancers. This is because the pancreas is normally responsible for helping the digestive system to digest your food, by releasing enzymes into your intestines.
If your pancreas is unable to release these enzymes because of the tumour, then your body will find it harder to digest food, particularly those which are high in fat. This can cause you to lose weight, and you may also become malnourished (where your body does not have enough of the right substances from food to keep it working properly).
Jaundice
Jaundice is a condition which can cause the following symptoms:
- yellowed skin and whites of your eyes,
- dark yellow urine,
- pale stools, and
- itchy skin.
Jaundice can be caused by a number of other conditions, such as gallstones, or hepatitis, and is rarely caused by cancer. You may develop jaundice if your cancer forms in the head of your pancreas. This is because a tumour in the head of the pancreas can block the bile duct, which is responsible for carrying bile (a fluid that helps the body digest food) from the liver to the intestine.
Bile contains a yellowy chemical called bilibrubin, which needs to be removed from the body by the liver. If the bile duct is blocked, the bilibrubin will build up, which is what causes the symptoms of jaundice.
Diabetes
In rare cases, you may develop diabetes as a result of your pancreatic cancer. This usually only occurs if your pancreas is severely damaged by the tumour. The pancreas is responsible for helping produce insulin. If your body does not have insulin, it cannot move sugar (glucose) out of the blood and into your cells. The symptoms of diabetes include:
- excessive thirst,
- passing more urine than usual,
- weakness, and
- weight loss.
Nausea and vomiting
You will normally only experience nausea and vomiting when cancer of the pancreas is advanced. This is because when the tumour grows larger, it can sometimes block part of the digestive tract, which is very close the pancreas.
Fever and shivering
You may become feverish and shivery if your pancreas becomes inflamed as a result of the tumour.
It is important to remember that many of the symptoms listed above are not usually caused by cancer. For example, nausea and fever are very common symptoms of a number of other conditions and illnesses. If you are at all concerned by your symptoms then contact your GP. If your symptoms developed suddenly, or are causing you particular pain or discomfort, then you should also contact your GP immediately.
