It's Typical To Have Pancreatic Cancer Without Realising It

Dec, 2022 - By SMI

According to Dr. Cohen, Pancreatic cancer is difficult to identify early since the pancreas is deep inside the body, so early tumours cannot be seen or felt during standard physical exams.

People usually have no symptoms until the disease has become quite large or has already spread to other organs.

The signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer can resemble those of other illnesses, according to Nancy Mitchell, a registered nurse with the Assisted Living Center. For instance, discomfort in the middle back could indicate pancreatic discomfort and inflammation. However, the majority of people misdiagnose it as a back ailment or a muscular strain. Patients sometimes put off seeing a doctor until they have three or more symptoms. The malignancy was already advanced at that point.

A family history of pancreatic cancer is the main risk factor. Limit or avoid alcohol consumption, Mitchell continues. Alcohol makes the pancreatic fluids thicker, which can clog the ducts and cause inflammation. We refer to this illness as "pancreatitis." Limiting inflammatory stimuli in the body is the objective since inflammation promotes cancer.

According to the ACS, smoking is one of the main risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer. Smoking cigarettes is estimated to be the root cause of about 25% of pancreatic cancers.

A BMI of 30 or higher indicates obesity, which increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by 20%. It's unclear whether those who have type 1 (juvenile) diabetes are at an increased risk.

According to the Mayo Clinic, pancreatic cancer signs and symptoms frequently don't show up until the disease has progressed. They may consist of: back discomfort that originates in the abdomen, Fatigue, appetite loss or unintentional weight loss, Clots of blood, skin and the whites of your eyes are becoming yellow (jaundice), newly discovered diabetes or diabetes that is already present but becomes harder to control, stools in a light colour, Skin itch, urine with a deep colour.