As the name suggests, pancreatic cancer occurs in the pancreas, which is an internal organ located just behind the stomach. The enzymes it releases helps in digestion and its hormones also help in the regulation of your blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of pancreatic problems generally start showing very early, but if you don’t pay attention to them, they can quickly grow into bigger threats, and once that happens, there’s no way back. Pancreatic cancer is one of those issues that develop in the pancreas as a result of the negligence of the initial problems.
It’s worth remembering that people, who have pancreatic cancer, might not be able to feel any mass or lump outside the abdomen, even if you press it. Interestingly, symptoms of pancreatic cancer don’t necessarily come to notice unless it has already spread.
Signs and Symptoms Detection
Unlike the symptoms of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, the symptoms of pancreatic cancer aren’t always found through screening tests. As of now, there aren’t any screening tests for pancreatic cancer that have been found to save the lives of the affected.
Pancreatic cancer is often referred to as a silent disease and that’s because it’s difficult to spot it at its early stage. Generally, the earlier one can spot the cancer, the faster it can be cured. But in case of pancreatic cancer, it doesn’t come into notice and hence, it becomes highly tough to cure since it doesn’t get detected early.
However, there are certain symptoms that can be noticed if one pays close attention. Being aware of the risk factors also help you fight the disease and more importantly, avoiding the risk factors would mean that you would have the ultimate protection against pancreatic cancer.
Here are the main causes of pancreatic cancer:
- Family history
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Regular exposure to pesticides and chemicals
What are the signs of pancreatic cancer?
The signs of pancreatic cancer are found inside the exocrine glands, which helps you digest food by producing special enzymes. In many cases, cancer can also be found in the endocrine glands, which produces glucagon and insulin for regulating blood sugar levels.
As mentioned earlier, no early phase symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be detected. However, as the tumour continues enlarging, certain potential symptoms might come into your notice. They are mentioned as follows:
- Pain: As pancreatic cancer starts spreading, it presses down on your organs and nerves or surrounding it, which in turn, causes pain. In many cases, if the cancerous tumour blocks the digestive tract, it might also lead to moderate to severe pain at times. In most cases, an affected person might feel pain in and around the back and abdomen region.
- Weight loss: Pancreatic cancer leads to a lowering of your appetite, which eventually leads to weight loss. So if your appetite has lowered and you are losing weight, consider it as the first few signs of pancreatic It’s important to note that in many cases, pancreatic cancers might produce several hormones that restrict your body from extracting the valuable nutrients from your food. In this regard, even if you consume a normal diet as ever, you might still lose weight and appear malnourished as a result.
- Excessive thirst or hunger: If you have lost your appetite, it doesn’t mean that you won’t feel hungry. In fact, feeling excessive hunger or thirst is associated with diabetes. In such a condition, the body becomes incapable of producing enough amounts of insulin. As a result of which, your blood sugar levels cannot be controlled. You must also understand that diabetes often occurs when pancreatic cancer destroys your insulin-making cells.
- Dark urine: You must already know that your liver produces a yellowish-brown fluid; known as bile, to help in food digestion. In that regard, it’s important to know that this bile is stored inside the gallbladder, from where it travels along the common bile duct towards the intestines, which is then eventually removed from the body in the form of stool. However, when a tumour blocks this common bile duct, too much of the stool starts building up in the system, which results in the production of dark urine. If you have been experiencing such a situation on a regular basis, this might be one of the pancreatic cyst symptoms.
- Enlargement of the gallbladder: Just in case your common bile duct has been blocked, the bile might get trapped inside your gallbladder. Such a situation is bound to fuel gallbladder enlargement. If you face such pancreas disease symptoms, consider visiting your doctor at the earliest.
Never take pancreatic cancer in a casual way. It can grow silently and wreak havoc in your life. The best way to avoid the occurrence of such a disease is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and more importantly, get verified by your doctor more often. Stay safe, stay healthy!
Dr. Saurabha Kumar | Consultant Oncology, Radiation Oncology | Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center, Bommasandra, Bangalore