As women, we don’t tend to give pancreatic cancer much thought. Instances of the disease are pretty rare overall, with pancreatic cancer only accounting for 3% of all cancers in the United States, per the American Cancer Society. Plus, it’s more common in men than women. However, a 2023 study published in the journal Gastroenterology revealed that rates of pancreatic cancer are rising faster in women, especially in women of color, than they are in men.
This fact, plus the aggressive nature of the illness, are why knowing the symptoms of pancreatic cancer is so important. “It has a high likelihood of spread, or metastasis, to other organs in the body,” said Neil Woody, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic. What’s more, the five-year survival rate is only 9%, according to the American Cancer Society.
Why is the disease on the rise? Part of it is due to increased detection, said Valerie Lee, M.D., a medical oncologist at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Lifestyle factors may be playing a role as well. Increases in diabetes and obesity—two major risk factors for pancreatic cancer—may also be contributing to the rise in pancreatic cancer cases.
Meet the experts: Neil Woody, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic; Valerie Lee, M.D., a medical oncologist at Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Sibley Memorial Hospital; Kim Reiss, M.D., an oncologist specializing in pancreatic cancer at the University of Pennsylvania.
Why pancreatic cancer is tough to diagnose
Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to diagnose. Only about 10% of pancreatic cancers have a genetic predisposition, and good screenings for the general population have been difficult to establish, said Dr. Woody. “Tests with high likelihood of detecting pancreatic cancer, such as endoscopic ultrasound, are invasive, costly, and may carry risks of complications that outweigh their use as screening tests for the average person,” he explained.
What’s more, many of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be caused by other conditions. Plus, people have almost no symptoms at all until the cancer has spread to other organs.
Still, if you are experiencing any of these warning signs, it’s worth making an appointment with your doctor.
1. You have no major risk factors for diabetes but suddenly have it
The pancreas produces insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. So if blood sugar levels suddenly chance, the pancreas becomes the number one suspect. “When people with no risk factors for diabetes (no family history, good diet, thin body type) develop new onset diabetes, or who have a history of well controlled diabetes suddenly find that it becomes difficult to control, it’s reasonable to evaluate why the pancreas may not be functioning as well,” said Dr. Lee.
2. You experience abdominal pain that feels like you’re being squeezed around the middle
“The pancreas sits close to a bundle of blood vessels and nerves called the celiac plexus that can cause pain and nerve irritation,” said Dr. Lee. When it happens, the pain is usually pretty encompassing of your abdomen.
“Patients feel pain from the epigastrum (the area just under the sternum) through to their back. Imagine a tire hiked up right under your chest and around your abdomen,” said Kim Reiss, M.D., an oncologist specializing in pancreatic cancer at the University of Pennsylvania.
3. You develop an unexplained blood clot
“Patients with pancreas cancer are particularly prone to blood clots,” said Dr. Lee. While the exact cause is not known, it is believed that cancer cells reduce production of the proteins the body uses to prevent blood clots.
“For people who do not have a reason for the development of a clot—a recent major surgery, trauma (like a car accident), hospitalization, or prolonged period where you are laying still, or a hereditary predisposition to clotting—we recommend making sure you are up to date on your cancer screening and to check in with your doctor about any other symptoms that may help to identify the source of the clotting abnormality,” said Dr. Lee.
4. Your stool starts to float
“The pancreas does not just produce insulin; it also produces pancreatic enzymes that help break down fat,” said Dr. Lee. “If there is a blockage in the output of pancreatic enzymes, such as a tumor developing in the pancreas, then fat is not digested as well.”
This comes out as foul-smelling “fatty” stools that float to the top of the toilet bowl, and may come many times per day shortly after eating fattier meals.
5. The whites of your eyes start to look yellow
The pancreas is located close to the liver, which produces bile. If a tumor prevents the bile ducts from draining bile appropriately, people may develop elevated levels of bilirubin in their body, which translates into jaundice, or a yellowing of the skin. “This is usually best seen in the white of the eyes, and can also lead to itching all over the body, light colored stools, and darkened urine,” said Dr. Lee.
6. You have very little appetite
If you experience a loss of appetite or feel full after eating very little, this also may be a sign of pancreatic cancer. “The pancreas is nestled right near the first part of the small intestine, and tumors can cause food to back up or not get through to the small intestine as quickly,” said Dr. Reiss.
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