Signs And Symptoms Of Pancreatic Cancer

What Is The Pancreas?

In your body, the pancreas, which looks like a tiny, hockey-shaped organ, is situated behind the stomach. One of the main functions of the pancreas is to maintain proper blood sugar levels and regulate food digestion in the body. The pancreas produces two hormones in the body—insulin and glucagon—that manage blood sugar levels. 

What Is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer occurs when there is an abnormal growth in the pancreas cells; thus, causing them to multiply uncontrollably. This leads to the formation of a mass of tissue called a tumor. However, this tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Early signs of pancreatic cancer include jaundice, abdominal pain, and weight loss. However, pancreatic cancer’s early symptoms are hard to detect until the advanced stage and are often not curable. 

In most cases, pancreatic cancer symptoms show up only after cancer has developed and spread to other body organs. As pancreatic cancer is diagnosed at an advanced stage, the survival rate and long-term prognosis are lower than other cancer types. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer are exposure to chemical products and diabetes. Moving forward, this blog will cover pancreatic cancer signs and symptoms, risk factors, staging, and ways to reduce its risk. 

Read Also: Cancer Treatment Costs In India

Pancreatic Cancer Causes And Risk Factors

Pancreatic cancer symptoms are primarily general and are diagnosed when it has spread to other body organs or is difficult to cure. Some of its risk factors include:

• Age- The risk of pancreatic cancer increases with growing age. Nearly 80% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer fall between the age group of 60 and 80. 

• Diabetes- People with type-2 diabetes are twice as likely to get pancreatic cancer than people who don’t have it.

• Smoking- People who smoke heavily have a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Around 20% of pancreatic cancer is linked to smoking.

• Obesity- People with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 and above have a high risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

• High-fat diet- Pancreatic cancer is associated with a diet consisting of high fat and meat. In contrast, the risk is lower for people following a healthy diet consisting of vegetables and fruits. 

• Exposure to chemicals- People who work in dry cleaning industries or who are exposed to certain chemicals, dyes, pesticides, or gasoline have a high risk of developing pancreatic cancer. 

• Genetic factors- The risk of pancreatic cancer is 2 to 3 times higher when any of your family members has had pancreatic cancer in the past. 5-10% of people diagnosed 

• with pancreatic cancer had a family member who had it. 

• Pancreatitis- Chronic inflammation of the pancreas caused by high alcohol and tobacco consumption increases the likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer. Chronic pancreatitis is mostly detected between the ages of 35 and 45. 

Financial risk and way to deal with it

Financial costs can pile up when you or your loved ones are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The high cost of pancreatic cancer can be overwhelming with no financial backups like savings or health insurance, and when out-of-pocket expenses become hard to manage. But there is no need to worry. One way to ease the financial burden is to start an online fundraiser on a crowdfunding platform like ImpactGuru. 

You can create a fundraiser in 5 minutes at ImpactGuru, get 24*7 customer support, and raise funds for your cancer treatment from generous people across the country. Thousands of others have raised funds for different causes at ImpactGuru. 

Want to know about people who successfully raised money for their cause? Click here.

Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

The type of pancreatic cancer symptoms and how they may spread depends on the location of the cancer tumor. Some pancreatic cancer symptoms may look similar to other illnesses and can be challenging to detect. 

Early warning signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Early signs of pancreatic cancer that may appear are jaundice or skin turning yellowish. Other symptoms that a person may face are:

• Diabetes

• Blood clots

• Skin itching

• Vomiting, nausea, and unusual stools

• Loss of appetite

• Darker urine

• Swelling in the gallbladder

Common symptoms of pancreatic cancer

• Jaundice- Many pancreatic cancer symptoms resemble illnesses like gastrointestinal issues or stress. Also, jaundice symptoms can’t be ruled out. People having jaundice in pancreatic cancer is less painful and develops when a tumor in the pancreas blocks the bile duct. Some pancreatic cancer symptoms that may appear are dark urine, yellowish skin or eyes, itchy skin, and pale stools. 

• Gastrointestinal (GI) health issues- Pancreatic cancer symptoms like GI-related problems result from tumors affecting the stomach and other digestive organs as cancer metastasizes. They include:

• Appetite loss

• Vomiting

• Nausea

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