Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the pancreas – a large gland that’s part of the digestive system.

Around half of all new cases are diagnosed in people aged 75 or over. It’s uncommon in people under 40 years of age.

Symptoms

In the early stages, a tumour in the pancreas doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, which can make it difficult to diagnose.

It’s important to remember that these symptoms can be caused by many different conditions, and aren’t usually the result of cancer. But you should contact your GP if you’re concerned, or if these symptoms start suddenly.

The first noticeable symptoms of pancreatic cancer are often:

pain in the back or stomach area – which may come and go at first and is often worse when you lie down or after you’ve eaten unexpected weight loss jaundice – the most obvious sign is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes; it also causes your urine to be dark yellow or orange and your stools (faeces) to be pale-coloured

Other possible symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

nausea and vomiting bowel changes fever and shivering indigestion blood clots

You may also develop symptoms of diabetes if you have pancreatic cancer, because it can produce chemicals that interfere with the normal effect of insulin.

Endocrine pancreatic cancer

There are also a number of different endocrine tumours that cause different symptoms, depending on the hormone the tumour produces.


In its early stages, pancreatic cancer rarely causes symptoms.

The pancreas is actually 2 glands in one, and symptoms depend on which part is affected. This is because:

the exocrine pancreas produces digestive enzymes, which break down food so they can be absorbed by your body the endocrine pancreas produces hormones – including insulin, which keeps your blood sugar levels stable

Most cases of pancreatic cancer are in the exocrine pancreas, and the 3 most common symptoms are:

pain in the stomach or back jaundice weight loss

It’s important to remember that these symptoms can be caused by many different health conditions and aren’t usually the result of cancer. However, you should contact your GP if you’re concerned, or if you suddenly develop these symptoms.


Other possible symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

itching (if you have jaundice) nausea and vomiting bowel changes fever and shivering indigestion blood clots