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Pancreatic cancer was the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths until 2016 when it surpassed breast cancer and thus moved to the third place. It affects both men and women but it is more common in men.
If the pancreatic tumor is diagnosed within the early stages of malignancy, the patient has an 85% chance of full recovery in five years. However, if the tumor is diagnosed in later chances, the patient only has 3% chances of recovery.
Pancreatic cancer is very difficult to detect in the early stages as it progresses very quickly. Many times, symptoms only develop when the tumor has grown significantly or, if they exist but are easily ignored.
Although the patient has high chances of recovery in the early stages, it goes unnoticed until it is too late.
We have selected some of the earliest indications that can point to pancreatic cancer that should alert you in case they appear.
Jaundice
Jaundice is not exclusive to pancreatic cancer and it is caused by excess bilirubin. Jaundice makes the skin and eyes develop a yellow shade and it is a clear indication that you should consult a doctor as soon as practical.
Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that forms when the dead red blood cells breakdown in the liver.
When tumor prevents the release of excessive bile from the body and liver, bilirubin accumulates in the body and causes the eyes and skin to have a yellow color.
Jaundice becomes more visible as the tumor grows and spreads into the liver. Thus, patients in both early and low stages of pancreatic cancer show jaundice.
Darker Urine
High levels of bilirubin in the body also cause dull color urine and it is one of the most obvious signs that you might have a pancreatic tumor.
If the urine has changed into a darker color, it is a clear sign you should consult a doctor without any delay.
This is a symptom that very often accompanies a growing tumor in the pancreas. Although it is possible to have a tumor without dark urine, this symptom makes pancreatic cancer much more likely.
Greasy Stool
Although checking the consistency of the stool is not something people are usually happy about, a greasy stool can be a very significant pointer to the existence of a malignant tumor in your body that may very well be in your pancreas.
The greasy stool is a symptom that appears when the tumor grows large enough that it blocks the bile duct.
The bile is the organ that should process the fatty substances in the body can’t work as expected and, as a result, the fatty substances come out as stool “raw”.
Pigmented Stool
The stool can be impacted by pancreatic cancer in other ways than just being greasy. Another indicator that points to a tumor growing in your pancreas is a pigmentation in the stool.
The pigmentation is due to the fact that the pancreatic juice and the bile are blocked and can’t reach the digestive tract, ending up in the stool.
Skin Aggravations
If your skin doesn’t just turn yellow but also develops irritation, you might also want to see a specialist. These irritations appear locally or are scattered all over the body.
Skin irritation in pancreatic cancer is caused by the excessive bilirubin, the low metabolic rate, and the faulty digestive system.
If the pancreatic tumor is diagnosed within the early stages of malignancy, the patient has an 85% chance of full recovery in five years. However, if the tumor is diagnosed in later chances, the patient only has 3% chances of recovery.
Pancreatic cancer is very difficult to detect in the early stages as it progresses very quickly. Many times, symptoms only develop when the tumor has grown significantly or, if they exist but are easily ignored.
Although the patient has high chances of recovery in the early stages, it goes unnoticed until it is too late.
We have selected some of the earliest indications that can point to pancreatic cancer that should alert you in case they appear.
Jaundice
Jaundice is not exclusive to pancreatic cancer and it is caused by excess bilirubin. Jaundice makes the skin and eyes develop a yellow shade and it is a clear indication that you should consult a doctor as soon as practical.
Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that forms when the dead red blood cells breakdown in the liver.
When tumor prevents the release of excessive bile from the body and liver, bilirubin accumulates in the body and causes the eyes and skin to have a yellow color.
Jaundice becomes more visible as the tumor grows and spreads into the liver. Thus, patients in both early and low stages of pancreatic cancer show jaundice.
Darker Urine
High levels of bilirubin in the body also cause dull color urine and it is one of the most obvious signs that you might have a pancreatic tumor.
If the urine has changed into a darker color, it is a clear sign you should consult a doctor without any delay.
This is a symptom that very often accompanies a growing tumor in the pancreas. Although it is possible to have a tumor without dark urine, this symptom makes pancreatic cancer much more likely.
Greasy Stool
Although checking the consistency of the stool is not something people are usually happy about, a greasy stool can be a very significant pointer to the existence of a malignant tumor in your body that may very well be in your pancreas.
The greasy stool is a symptom that appears when the tumor grows large enough that it blocks the bile duct.
The bile is the organ that should process the fatty substances in the body can’t work as expected and, as a result, the fatty substances come out as stool “raw”.
Pigmented Stool
The stool can be impacted by pancreatic cancer in other ways than just being greasy. Another indicator that points to a tumor growing in your pancreas is a pigmentation in the stool.
The pigmentation is due to the fact that the pancreatic juice and the bile are blocked and can’t reach the digestive tract, ending up in the stool.
Skin Aggravations
If your skin doesn’t just turn yellow but also develops irritation, you might also want to see a specialist. These irritations appear locally or are scattered all over the body.
Skin irritation in pancreatic cancer is caused by the excessive bilirubin, the low metabolic rate, and the faulty digestive system.
