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Cancer of the pancreas, which is the type of malignant tumor of this organ, can present some symptoms, such as yellow skin, itching in the body, pain in the belly, back pain or weight loss, for example, and the amount and intensity vary according to the size of the tumor, the affected site of the pancreas, the surrounding organs affected and whether or not there are metastases.
Most cases of pancreatic cancer have no symptoms in the initial stage, or only very mild, which makes it difficult to identify. However, when these symptoms are intense or when other signs and symptoms appear, it is possible that you are in an advanced stage.
Main signs and symptoms
In most cases, cancer develops in cells that produce digestive juices, known as exocrine pancreatic cancer, and can cause symptoms such as:
- Yellowish skin and eyes, when it reaches the liver or compresses the ducts that carry bile;
- Dark urine, which is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood, due to obstruction of bile transport;
- White or fatty stools, due to difficulty for bile and bilirubin to reach the intestine;
- Itchy skin, also caused by accumulation of bilirubin in the blood;
- Severe abdominal pain that radiates to the back, as the tumor grows and compresses organs adjacent to the pancreas;
- Persistent maldigestion, when it blocks the release of pancreatic juice into the intestine, making it difficult to digest fatty foods;
- Lack of appetite and weight loss, due to altered digestion and hormonal changes caused by cancer;
- Frequent nausea and vomiting, when the tumor blocks and compresses the stomach;
- Blood clots or bleeding, due to interference with clotting caused by the hormonal changes of the disease, and damage to the surrounding organs and circulation
- Development of diabetes, which can happen when the tumor interferes with the metabolism of the pancreas, altering its insulin production;
In addition, this type of cancer can also develop in the cells responsible for producing hormones and, in these cases, common signs include excess acidity and frequent appearance of stomach ulcers, sudden changes in blood sugar levels, liver enlargement or severe diarrhea, for example.
Since this type of cancer does not cause symptoms in its initial stage, most patients only discover the diagnosis at a more advanced or terminal stage, when the cancer has already spread to other locations, making more difficult to treat.
Understand how this type of cancer is treated.
When to go to the doctor
Having one or some of these symptoms does not indicate the presence of cancer, however, it is advisable to consult a general practitioner, gastroenterologist or endocrinologist when one or more symptoms appear intensely or take more than 1 week to disappear.
In these cases, if the cause is not found with clinical evaluation and initial blood tests, a CT scan can be done to identify if there are changes in the pancreas, and blood tests to observe if there are changes in the pancreas. levels of some hormones, which can confirm the diagnosis.
Main causes of pancreatic cancer
The appearance of pancreatic cancer seems to be related to genetic alterations in the organ, and some types can be hereditary, although the exact cause is not known.
There are also some risk factors that predispose to the development of cancer, such as age over 50 years old, smoking, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and eating too much fat, fried foods and red meat.
