Early signs of pancreatic cancer

Like many forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer usually does not present any symptoms until the tumor has become large and begun to spread to the liver, nearby lymph nodes, or the lungs.

The pancreas is a gland that sits behind the stomach and is hidden by the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and small intestine. The pancreas helps the stomach break down food by producing neutralizing digestive fluids and, it metabolizes sugars through the production of hormones, like insulin. When abnormal cells grow inside the tissues of the pancreas, cancer develops and spreads. The ducts that carry the fluids and hormones are the areas normally affected by pancreatic cancer. The most common type of pancreatic cancer involves exocrine tumors.

Doctors have studied the 5-inch long pancreas and broken it down into three specific areas: head, body and tail. The “head” of the pancreas accounts for 80% of cancerous tumors, while the “tail” presents tumors 20% of the time.

Symptoms can be very vague and often overlooked, dismissed, or attributed to another ailment but there are some early warning signs that will prompt your doctor to conduct further testing.

POTENTIAL EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF PANCREATIC CANCER:

* WEIGHT LOSS= an unexplained loss of 10% of your total body weight.

* STOMACH AND BACK PAIN= increases after eating and worsens when you lay down. Can feel like a dull, boring pain in your upper or middle abdomen that may spread to your back. Your abdomen may feel tender to the touch if the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder is swollen or enlarged, due to inflammation.

* JAUNDICE= if a tumor is blocking a bile duct, your skin and the whites of your eyes may begin to yellow. When bile is blocked from entering the duodenum, it ends up in your bloodstream and the yellow pigments in the bile cause the discoloration. Jaundice, without pain, is a common reason people with pancreatic cancer visit their doctor. At this stage, the cancer is operable. (Jaundice, with pain, is usually a sign of liver or gallbladder disease.)

* LOSS OF APPETITE, NAUSEA OR DIARRHEA

* ITCHING: A build-up of bile salts in your bloodstream, from jaundice, can cause your skin to itch.

* FATIGUE, WEAKNESS, AND DEPRESSION: excess insulin or interference with normal digestive processes can cause a malfunction in your body’s metabolism.

* MUSCLE SPASMS, FEVER, CHILLS, OR DIZZINESS

* CHANGE IN BOWEL: if your body is unable to digest and absorb food properly, your stools may become fatty and cause frequent elimination of large, light-colored, and foul-smelling materials.

Many of these symptoms can be attributed to ailments that are unrelated to pancreatic cancer, but only consultation with your doctor, and diagnostic testing, will be able to determine the cause.

CONTRIBUTING RISK FACTORS:

* DIABETES: when insulin production is compromised, your blood contains too much sugar, which results in increased thirst and urination. No matter whether you have had diabetes for years, or have recently been diagnosed with the disease, any changes in the items listed above can signal a possible pancreatic tumor.

* SMOKING

* CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF THE PANCREAS (Pancreatitis)

* HEREDITARY PRE-DISPOSITION= inherited conditions for pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer syndromes within your immediate family.

If you have a history of chronic pancreatitis, are a heavy smoker, a diabetic, or have any pancreatic syndromes within your family, your risk of pancreatic cancer increases.

If you experience any of the potential symptoms, getting yourself to the doctor is the best tool available for early intervention and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

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