Oncologist named the first 3 alarming symptoms of pancreatic cancer

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Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect and often manifests itself at a late stage.

The pancreas is an organ in the middle of the abdomen that performs two main functions: it produces insulin and glucagon, which regulate a person's blood sugar levels.

The organ also produces enzymes (lipase, amylase, and protease) that help with digestion.

This type of cancer usually affects older people (75 years and older), but can occur at any age. Unlike other types of cancer, symptoms may not always appear or be difficult to detect.

The oncologist described the first alarming signs to look out for:

• Unexplained weight loss.
• Pain in the middle of the abdomen that radiates to the back.
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes) can also cause dark urine and pale stools.

“Following symptoms may include decreased appetite (particularly aversion to meat due to decreased pancreatic enzymes that break it down), nausea and vomiting, and diabetes related to the effect on insulin production by the pancreas,” he said.

The doctor said that most cancers are diagnosed in the later stages of the disease because symptoms appear late. In some cases, the symptoms can be mistaken for less serious illnesses.

Other conditions that can be mistaken for it include acute pancreatitis (usually an infection of the pancreas), chronic pancreatitis, gallstones or other gallbladder conditions, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or peptic ulcer disease.

So when should you see a doctor? Any of the symptoms listed above should be a reason to see your GP urgently: weight loss, jaundice, severe (unexplained) abdominal pain.

You should make an urgent appointment with your doctor if:

• the whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow
• you've been sick for more than two days
• you've had diarrhea for more than seven days
• you have symptoms that are bothering you but you don't know where to get help.

The age at which pancreatic cancer is diagnosed depends on which category above a person belongs to.

• Category 1: Start surveillance at age 40.
• Categories 2 and 3: Onset at age 45–50.

For those who have a family member diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at a young age, we offer surveillance beginning ten years earlier , in which their relative was diagnosed.

• Category 4: Start at age 40 or 20 years after the first case of pancreatitis, whichever comes first.

International guidelines recommend that people undergoing surveillance for pancreatic cancer undergo annual imaging with MRI/magnetic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and/or endoscopic ultrasound (US).