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Pancreatic Cancer Association of WNY PO Box 24580 Rochester, NY 14624
Symptoms
Because pancreatic cancer grows around important areas of the digestive system, gastrointestinal symptoms often predominate:
- Abdominal pain. More than 80% of people with pancreatic cancer eventually experience some abdominal pain that may radiate to the back. The pain may come and go.
- Bloating. Some people with pancreatic cancer have a sense of early fullness with meals (satiety) or an uncomfortable swelling in the abdomen.
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Fat in the stool. As pancreatic cancer reduces the pancreas' ability to secrete fat-digesting enzymes, more fat ends up in the stool. These fatty stools can be strange-smelling, and float more than normal.
- Pale-colored stools. Urine may become darker.
As it grows and spreads, pancreatic cancer affects the whole body. Some other possible symptoms include:
- Weight loss
- Malaise
- Loss of appetite
- Diabetes
- Jaundice: yellowing of the skin and the eyes
- Itching: People with pancreatic cancer sometimes report itching all over caused from a blockage of the bile ducts.
Since many of these symptoms mimic a variety of digestive issues, always discuss your symptoms with a physician.