Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms & Risk Factors

Pancreatic cancer often doesn’t cause any signs or symptoms in the early stages. This can make it hard to diagnose early. As the cancer grows, it may start to cause symptoms. The symptoms and how severe they are can vary for each person.

Knowing your risk factors and talking about them with your doctor may help you make more informed lifestyle and health care choices.

Symptoms

These symptoms don’t necessarily mean that you have pancreatic cancer, but you should get them checked out.

If you have new or persistent symptoms of pancreatic cancer that are out of the ordinary for you, it’s really important that you contact your GP to get checked out.

Pain in the upper abdomen could be caused by a pancreatic tumor pushing against or invading nerves or organs near the pancreas

Pain in the mid-back could be caused by a pancreatic tumor pushing against or invading nerves or organs near the pancreas.

Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). Jaundice can also result in itchiness of the skin, abnormally dark urine, and light or clay-colored stools.

Unexplained weight loss can be an early symptom and can occur without any pain or apparent change in digestion.

Many pancreatic cancer patients experience diarrhea, constipation or both. Diarrhea consisting of loose, watery, oily or foul-smelling stools can be caused by insufficient amounts of pancreatic enzymes in the intestines.

Pancreatic cancer can decrease appetite or change the way food tastes.

This may include poor appetite, nausea and vomiting. It is common for pancreatic cancer to cause problems with eating and digesting food. Symptoms can include: feeling full quickly when eating, bloating, lots of wind, and burping.

New-onset diabetes in people over the age of 50, and a sudden change in blood sugar levels in diabetics who previously had well-controlled diabetes.

Risk Factors

The cause of the majority of pancreatic cancer cases is unknown, but research studies have identified the following risk factors that may increase the likelihood that someone will develop pancreatic cancer.

Global research suggests obese people have a 20 per cent increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer

People who smoke cigarettes are two times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than people who have never smoked.

The chances of developing pancreatic cancer increases with age. Most people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are over the age of 60.

Pancreatic cancer is more likely to occur in people who have long-standing diabetes (more than 5 years). This can also be a symptom.

If a person has two or more first-degree relatives (mother, father, sibling or child) who have had pancreatic cancer, or a first-degree relative who developed pancreatic cancer before the age of 50, you may have an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer

Chronic pancreatitis indicates an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. It’s even higher in individuals with hereditary pancreatitis.

Some studies have shown a link between heavy alcohol use and pancreatic cancer. Heavy alcohol use can also lead to conditions such as chronic pancreatitis, which is known to increase pancreatic cancer risk.