You get symptoms when the cancer grows and spreads. The most common symptoms are:

These symptoms can be caused by other illnesses that are less serious than pancreas cancer. But it's important not to ignore these symptoms. The sooner your doctor checks them out, the more quickly you can get treatment for whatever is causing them.

You may also be able to get treatment to help with some of the symptoms.

Jaundice makes your skin turn yellow. It also makes the whites of your eyes go yellow. It happens when there's too much of a chemical called bilirubin in your blood.

Bilirubin is a waste product from worn-out blood cells. Your body usually gets rid of bilirubin in bile, which is a fluid made in your liver. Bile passes through a tube called the common bile duct. This empties into the top part of your intestines (your duodenum).

Pancreas cancer can block your common bile duct because the duct runs right by your

 

 

 

 

 

pancreas
Your pancreas is an organ that's behind your stomach. It makes several different chemicals. Some of the chemicals help your body digest food. Your pancreas also makes a chemical called insulin, which helps your body use the sugar in your blood.

 

 

 

 

 

pancreas. If this happens, you can't get rid of the bile. So bilirubin builds up in your blood and stains your skin yellow. It also makes your urine darker. And because there's no bilirubin in your stools, they look paler.

See More about your pancreas and bile duct.

Pancreas cancer isn't the only cause of jaundice. You can get jaundice if:

You can have surgery to bypass your bile duct. This should get rid of the jaundice.

Your skin may become very itchy. This probably happens because your cancer is blocking your common bile duct. So the chemicals that usually leave your body in bile build up in your blood.

This itching can be hard to relieve. But there are medications that you can try. You can ask your doctor about these.

You can have surgery to bypass your bile duct. This should relieve the itching.

If your cancer spreads outside your pancreas, you may get pain in your upper back or your upper abdomen. But not everyone with pancreas cancer gets pain.

If you have pancreas cancer, it's natural to worry that a new pain means your cancer is spreading. But keep in mind that everyone gets aches and pains from time to time, whether or not they have pancreas cancer. Your pain may be due to something completely different. If you're anxious, be sure to tell your doctor or nurse, so that you can have tests to check it out.

Many people with cancer are frightened that they will have serious pain at some point. There are many ways that doctors can control pain successfully.

To read more about this, see Keeping you comfortable and free of pain.

Many people with pancreas cancer also feel nauseated and find it hard to keep their food down. You may lose your appetite and food may not taste like it usually does.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The Sol Goodman pancreatic cancer research center.
Available at http://pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas/ (accessed on 17 April 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

¹ So you may not feel like eating and find it hard to keep your weight up. This makes you feel tired and weak. It's a vicious circle because the more tired you get, the less you feel like eating and the weaker you feel.

If your

 

 

 

 

 

pancreas
Your pancreas is an organ that's behind your stomach. It makes several different chemicals. Some of the chemicals help your body digest food. Your pancreas also makes a chemical called insulin, which helps your body use the sugar in your blood.

 

 

 

 

 

pancreas isn't working properly, the food you eat may not be properly digested. Or you may feel filled up easily.

There are many things you can do to try to keep up your weight. Pancreatic enzymes may help. These come as tablets that can help you digest your food more easily.

Ask your doctor to refer you to a qualified

 

 

 

 

 

nutritionist
A nutritionist is a health professional who is trained to give you advise about what you eat.

 

 

 

 

 

nutritionist, who can help you work out a nutrition plan.

You'll need to rest, but some gentle exercise can help you feel better and give you more of an appetite.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The Sol Goodman pancreatic cancer research center.
Available at http://pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas/ (accessed on 17 April 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

¹ Ask your doctor about exercise.

It's understandable that you may feel anxious or depressed if you have pancreas cancer. It can happen when you find out that you have the disease or when you're having treatment.

To learn more, see Feeling depressed.

Some people with pancreas cancer are depressed even before they know they have cancer.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Passik SD, Breitbart WS.
Depression in patients with pancreatic carcinoma: diagnostic and treatment issues.
Cancer. 1996; 78 (supplement 1): S615-S626.

 

 

 

 

 

² This doesn't mean that depression causes pancreas cancer. It may be that the changes in the pancreas may lead to an imbalance of

 

 

 

 

 

hormones
Hormones are chemicals that are made in certain parts of the body. They travel through the bloodstream and have an effect on other parts of the body. For example, the female sex hormone estrogen is made in a woman's ovaries. Estrogen has many different effects on a woman's body. It makes the breasts grow at puberty and helps control periods. It is also needed to get pregnant.

 

 

 

 

 

hormones and chemicals that, in turn, can cause depression.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Passik SD, Breitbart WS.
Depression in patients with pancreatic carcinoma: diagnostic and treatment issues.
Cancer. 1996; 78 (supplement 1): S615-S626.

 

 

 

 

 

²

Living with a serious disease like pancreas cancer isn't easy. You may have all kinds of worries, whether about hospital bills, pain, medication side effects or your future.

To learn more, see Getting support to help you cope.

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