Pancreatic cancer Symptoms

Basic Symptoms of Pancreatic cancer

• weight loss
• abdominal pain
• loss of appetite
• jaundice
• nausea
• weakness
• fatigue
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• indigestion
• back pain
• clay-colored stools
• paleness
• depression

Causes of Pancreatic cancer

Although the exact cause for pancreatic cancer remains unknown, several risk factors, such as smoking and diets rich in red meat and fat, have been shown to increase the susceptibility to this particular cancer. It has been observed that a third of pancreatic cancer cases occur among smokers. Therefore, smoking is regarded as the single greatest risk factor for this cancer.

Although the association between diabetes and pancreatic cancer is not known, the disease is more common among diabetics. Conditions such as chronic pancreatitis (long-term inflammation of the pancreas) have also been associated with an increased risk for pancreatic cancer. Some research data shows that exposure to certain substances, such as gasoline and dry cleaning chemicals increases the risk of this cancer.

More detailed explanation Pancreatic cancer

The most common signs and symptoms of the disease are:

• Abdominal pain is generally a sign that the pancreatic cancer has spread to the surrounding area and the tumor is pressing down on the nerves. Typically, the pain is in the back and relieved by sitting up and bending forward.
• Weight loss that is not due to drastic dieting or exercising is a common occurrence in pancreatic cancer patients. Weight loss could be due to loss of appetite and improper digestion.
• Digestive problems, diarrhea, and nausea may often occur in patients because the pancreas plays an important role in making certain digestive juices that break down the fatty foods.
• Gallbladder enlargement may sometimes occur, because the pancreatic tumor expands in size and presses down on the ducts leading from the gallbladder to the small intestine. Hence, the bile accumulates in the gallbladder causing it to become enlarged (a positive Courvoisier sign).
• Jaundice (a yellowish discoloration of the whites of the eyes and the skin) due to an accumulation of a substance called "bilirubin" in these tissues. Jaundice is secondary, and related, to associated obstruction of the common bile duct by the cancer. Many other conditions, such as hepatitis and the presence of gallstones also cause jaundice.