As reported by the American Cancer Society (ACS), it is estimated that approximately 48,960 people will suffer from pancreatic cancer in 2024.

This accounts for about three percentages of all cancers in the U.S, but seven percentages of cancer deaths.

This cancer starts in the tissues of the pancreas, one pear-shaped organ that is located in the lower part of the stomach.

Cells in your pancreas start to multiply out of the control and create a mass, resulting in a cancerous tumor. Pancreatic cancer may impair the 2 main functions of your pancreas: secreting enzymes that help in the digestion and insulin that aids in processing sugar of your body.

It almost usually occurs after 45 years old, although it may also affect to younger people.

It is not clear what causes pancreatic cancer, but certain factors may increase the risk. Such factors include chronic inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis), obesity, diabetes, inherited gene mutations, excessive smoking, and family history of this cancer. African-Americans are at a higher risk too.

Pancreatic cancer is so difficult to detect early. In addition, it typically spreads rapidly, which affect to other parts of your body. This is why this cancer is known as a silent disease.

Although there are also certain early warning symptoms of pancreatic cancer, people always ignore them because these symptoms are so nonspecific. As you know, awareness of the early symptoms may help to save many precious lives. In this article, VKool.com will show you 10 early symptoms of pancreatic cancer in humans. This article listed the warning signs that you should notice to treat this cancer timely. However, it is not intended to give medical advice and it is solely for the informational purpose. Keep reading this article to understand more.

Top 10 Early Symptoms Of Pancreatic Cancer In Humans

1. Lower Back And Abdominal Pain

Back and abdominal pain is also considered as one of the first early symptoms pancreatic cancer in humans. In general, you will feel the sharp pain in the upper abdomen that gradually radiates toward your back.

A lot of patients also report that this pain is often more severe at night time and they will get slight relief from it by bending forward.

According to a 2001 study in the Pancreas journal, abdominal pain in patients with pancreatic cancer can result from the raising size of the tumor, lymph node metastasis, invasion of your anterior pancreatic capsule, and invasion of your intra-pancreatic nerves.

If you’re experiencing persistent, mild or moderate abdominal pain, you should consult your doctor. Most cases of this cancer are diagnosed in people visiting the emergency room and complaining of severe stomachic pain.

In fact, the position of the pain is very useful in determining where one tumor is located.

Learn more: Best yoga positions for back pain relief

2. Jaundice

It is very common for those with pancreatic cancer to suffer from jaundice, which is characterized by yellowing of their skin or eyes. Jaundice may also cause itchiness on their feet and hands, especially their soles and palms.

Any size of tumor placed in the head of your pancreas may result in irregular bile (the yellowish-brown fluid that is released by the liver to aid in digestion) flowing from your gallbladder into your small intestine. This will cause excess accumulation of bilirubin in your blood, one of the major causes of jaundice.

If you’ve signs of jaundice, you should consult your doctor because it is a very common symptom of many gallbladder and liver ailments as well as a symptom of pancreatic cancer. If some other reasons are ruled out, you should ask a doctor about testing for this cancer.

3. Sudden, Unexplained Weight Loss

In fact, unexplained weight loss is one of the other noticeable symptoms of pancreatic cancer as well as many other types of cancer.

Weight loss usually occurs when a tumor is spreading to nearby organs and then it will impair their functioning. This affects to the proper digestion of nutrients as well as leads to poor appetite.

Moreover, due to deficiency of pancreatic enzymes aiding in digestion, dietary fats begin passing through your body undigested, which will cause weight loss. Also, the cancer cells will compete with the healthy cells for nutrients.

Therefore, if you have started reducing weight suddenly without having any change in physical activity or your diet, you should consult your doctor.

See more: Advantages of corn for health and for weight loss

4. Nausea And Vomiting

One of the other symptoms of pancreatic cancer is nausea followed by vomiting. When a tumor grows, it may block some parts of your digestive tract, which can hamper the overall digestion process.

Apart from nausea and vomiting, you can also experience acid reflux and heartburn.

Because any type of interference with excretion processes and normal digestion may cause vomiting, all nausea or vomiting episodes aren’t necessarily related to cancer.

You can try drinking ginger or peppermint tea and limiting the intake of water with meals, but have water between your meals to reduce nausea.

However, if these signs tend to worsen after consuming and it is becoming more difficult for you to consume anything without throwing up, you should consult your doctor.

In some advanced cases of this cancer, surgery can be required to get over the blockage as well as improve digestion.

Read more: Best natural home treatments for nausea

5. Change In Urine Color

Urine of people suffering from this cancer has a few distinct characteristics. Your urine can become darker and have an orange, brown, or amber shade.

A developing pancreatic tumor may cause bile to be blocked and then not released from the body in the way it should be. In fact, excess bilirubin in your body may get into the urine and make it darker in appearance. Sometimes, there are also the traces of your blood in the urine.

If you notice your urine has got darker without any dietary explanation, you should find out the reason behind it.

Learn more: The book of outsmart your cancer

6. Greasy or Light-Colored Stool

Along with changes in the urine color, you can also notice changes in the stools, despite drinking enough water or fluid throughout a day. The stools can become large, pale, floating, oily, and smelly because the growing tumor will prevent your pancreas from discharging its digestive enzymes.

These digestive enzymes are required to digest foods, particularly fatty foods. The undigested fat will ultimately end up in the stool, which makes it float or look oily. These fatty stools are very difficult to flush away.

Moreover, stools turn into a lighter color because of the lack of bilirubin.

Because the consistency and color of the stool can say about your health, any type of bowel changes have to be reported to a doctor.

7. Bloating

Because the pancreas is considered as an integral part of your digestive system, the appearance of a tumor may cause several gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, inflammation, and gas in your abdomen.

Gas and bloating generally develop after having a meal and can even be accompanied by indigestion or heartburn.

These symptoms occur when this tumor in your pancreas begins exerting pressure on your abdomen and stomach, making it more difficult for your stomach to function correctly.

If bloating is still new for you and is not getting better with medications, you should go to see a doctor.

See more: Healthy foods that lower bloating and gas in your stomach quickly

8. Lack of Appetite

Those who suffer from pancreatic cancer can also notice a drop suddenly in the appetite and tend to feel full after consuming something very little.

When the tumor begins growing, it may cause pressure on your small intestine or your stomach, resulting in a blockage of your digestive tract. This may make people feel full after having meals and lose the appetite significantly and then lose weight.

Remember that significant changes in appetite may make a person tired and weak, which may even hinder treatment and recovery.

This is why it is vital for you to consult a doctor if you suffer from persistent, diminished appetite along with significant weight loss.

Read more: Home treatments to increase appetite in children and adults

9. Sudden, Unexplained Diabetes

When you are diagnosed diabetes suddenly without apparent cause or any family history of this disease, it can be one of the early symptoms of pancreatic cancer. The tumor may destroy insulin-making cells within your pancreas, resulting in diabetes.

Some symptoms such as urinary urgency, constant fatigue, numbness in your toes and fingers, and vision problems may the signs of the onset of diabetes. If you are diagnosed with unexplained and sudden diabetes, you should opt for a regular screening for this cancer.

According to a 2024 study, researchers found that about 80 percentages of patients diagnosed with this cancer are identified as suffering from concomitant diabetes with the poor prognostic factor.

Also, this research puts emphasis on diabetes as one of the potential causes as well as the effect of pancreatic cancer.

Learn more: Simple tips to cure diabetes naturally at home

10. Constant Fatigue And Weakness

Constant fatigue and weakness, without any change in physical activity and daily diet, may be one of other early symptoms of pancreatic cancer in humans that you should notice.

In this context, fatigue may be due to the lack of sleep because of pain or other reasons, anemia because of the loss of appetite, and increasing the growth of the tumor itself.

Improper eating can also take a toll on the energy level and you can feel the need to taking a break and sleeping more than usual.

If you’re feeling fatigued and weak even after getting more rest and sleep, you should see your doctor.

It may be a symptom of many types of cancer and other health problems. In fact, early diagnosis will increase the success rate of healing.

To get more information related to health problems, go to our main Health page. After studying the writing of 10 early symptoms of pancreatic cancer in humans, hope that this article will help you learn more some warning signs to determine this cancer. If you have any question or comment, please leave them below, I will respond you as soon as possible. Also, you can share your experiences with us if you know other symptoms of pancreatic cancer in humans.

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