{"id":2642,"date":"2019-01-06T08:13:30","date_gmt":"2019-01-06T08:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=2642"},"modified":"2021-07-28T12:54:03","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T12:54:03","slug":"9-symptoms-of-pancreatic-cancer-you-need-to-notice-in-the-early-stages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/9-symptoms-of-pancreatic-cancer-you-need-to-notice-in-the-early-stages\/","title":{"rendered":"9 symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer You Need to Notice in the Early Stages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Most health articles about pancreatic cancer state that pancreatic cancer doesn\u2019t show early symptoms that can be detected. People who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are usually already advanced enough in the disease that by the time it’s caught, within 5 years, death is imminent.  Only 4% of patients who are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer live beyond five years. Many notable celebrities in public figures such as Patrick Swayze, Bonnie Franklin, and Steve Jobs have developed pancreatic cancer and died from it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike what All those articles have said, the answer is yes there are many symptoms. But it\u2019s imperative to understand the symptoms and signs that characterize pancreatic cancer, and it’s important to understand what the pancreas does and where it’s located in the body. 53,000 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 and its a projected estimate that in the coming years, that of those 53,000, 43,000 will die from it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Diabetes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Especially if it comes on suddenly – A study was recently performed by the Mayo Clinic that showed that 40% of pancreatic cancer patients were diagnosed with diabetes one or two years before they were diagnosed with the pancreatic tumor. Researchers found that these tumors were the cause of diabetes. The promise to detect whether or not it’s a pancreatic tumor based on diabetes <\/a>is very difficult. The reason why is because diabetes is very common, and the majority of people who do have diabetes in the USA don’t have pancreatic cancer at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many doctors in the world are trying to develop different type types of tools to screen the patient to see whether or not they can tell the difference between patients who have diabetes and pancreatic cancer versus just diabetes by itself. Some people say that family history is an important clue to determining whether or not diabetes and pancreatic cancer go hand-in-hand. If diabetes comes on suddenly and there is no family history of diabetes make sure you check with your doctor for a full-screen check for pancreatic cancer as well. Diabetes can make some and feel very thirsty, pass more urine than normal, feel tired and even lose weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Yellowing of the eyes or skin, jaundice <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even the most microscopic of pancreatic tumors can cause a large block in the bile duct and the larger part of the pancreas. This causes the bile to build up and in turn can also cause jaundice. Jaundice is also caused by the buildup of bilirubin. Bilirubin <\/a>is a waste material that builds up in the blood. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often this symptom won\u2019t show until the pancreatic cancer has started to become more of an issue in your body. You\u2019ll find that after a while, a friend may notice you look very yellow, possibly noting your eye color. Then when you go and get it checked out by a physician, you are diagnosed as having jaundice. After further inspection, you are then told that you have developed a tumor in your pancreas! Fortunately, even though the tumor has already started, it is still in its early stages and it may be possible to catch it early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Itchy skin, palms, and soles of feet<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the smaller side effects of jaundice are itchy hands and feet. This reaction is due to bilirubin, which is the yellow-brown chemical waste found in the liver that causes jaundice. Unlike the usual red itchy skin you would usually get from a bug bite or regular common rash<\/a>, this itchy skin is yellow since the buildup of the bilirubin is under the skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned before bilirubin can be yellow in appearance, so when it does build up under the skin, your body takes on this same look. This is one of the best ways to tell if you look jaundiced. Since this is all due to the bilirubin build up under the skin, and that bilirubin is waste product that can\u2019t be excreted by your body, you will feel even more fatigued and abdominal pain than before this condition develops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Lack of Appetite<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another main cause is a lack of appetite<\/a>. A time study found that between 60 patients there .was a large drop in her appetite and a tendency to feel very full after only taking a small amount of food. The reason you lose your appetite is that the tumor that is growing in your abdomen, specifically your pancreas, it’s putting pressure on your surrounding organs including your stomach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What ends up happening, is that You end up feeling nauseous or extremely full without ever eating anything for many hours. You will find reading later on in this article, that due to this lack of appetite, you will also have to develop a change in the favorite foods you like and begin to lose a lot of weight in short periods of time due to this very same lack in appetite. Look for these 3 signs in conjunction to make a better-informed decision about whether you have the development of a tumor in your pancreas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Change in Taste<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Besides just the lack of appetite, most patients found that they had a change in taste as well. A lot of these patients found that they lost their taste for coffee<\/a>, smoking, and wine. In fact, most said they felt completely disgusted just at the thought of thinking about it. In a few studies, women who were found to have had developed a pancreatic tumor said they stopped craving their favorite sweets and pastries and actually felt like they wanted to vomit at the thought of having to eat it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This change in taste was dramatic and happened within a short period of time. So if you ever feel like you don\u2019t want to eat your favorite foods, and it\u2019s something that you look forward to less and less over a longer period of time, for example in weeks, then it may be worth getting yourself checked out. Of course, it\u2019s best to look at all the other symptoms together to see if it really is pancreatic cancer. These symptoms usually present themselves in conjunction with each other around the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Abdominal Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Soon after, they also felt abdominal pain, since most pancreatic cancer sufferers feel they have a gnawing pain rather than a sharp cramp or ache that radiates to the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just below your breastbone, and just on the top of your abdomen, place the tip of your finger. Then visualize your finger pointing back, all the way through your back to your spine<\/a>. That\u2019s the most common place where patients have found to have developed the pain that told them they had a tumor growing when they were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The pain is dull, but internal and radiates to all sides of your abdomen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cancerous tumors that cause pain in the abdomen are usually because the tumor is pressing on your internal organs. If the tumor spreads to the surrounding nerves, it can begin to cause severe back pain. The best thing to do is get this abdominal pain checked out by your general practitioner in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Enlarged Gallbladder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On closer observation, many of the doctors also found that this patient had an enlarged gallbladder. So the same blockage that we saw in the bile duct that caused jaundice in the first place, also affects the gallbladder <\/a>by enlarging it. This is due to the bile that continuously builds up behind the duct. The good news is that an enlarged gallbladder can be seen on standard imaging tests such as MRI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enlarged gallbladders also begin to present additional symptoms such as chills, nausea, vomiting, loose stools, fever, and severe abdominal cramping similar to menstrual cramping. For an even more in-depth look at your abdomen, instead of an MRI, you can also get a CT scan. If you suspect you may have the onset of a tumor, it\u2019s worth getting your general practitioner to check on your gallbladder as a yearly exam to make sure no future growth takes place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Unusual stools <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Such as smelly floating and hail stools or dark and tarry stools \u2013 since pancreatic tumors interfere with digestive enzymes in your body from reaching the intestine to digest fatty foods, you end up with smelly floating stools due to the excess fat. This is one of the most overlooked symptoms in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, dark, tarry stools are caused by bleeding in the upper intestines. Another name for this is steatorrhea, with the passing of excess fat in your stool. Pancreatic cancer can also cause diarrhea <\/a>and constipation and can be intensified if you are over the age of 60.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These unusual stools can be accompanied by bad gas. Since your pancreatic tumor is messing with your digestive enzymes and making your stool smelly, it will also have a negative effect on the air that is trapped in your body. So make sure to check for both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Sudden, unexplained weight loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Last but not least, if you experience any sudden, unexplained weight loss<\/a>, can be due to pancreatic cancer since there is a lack of pancreatic enzymes to help the fat pass through the body and be digested. \u00a0\u00a0As we mentioned earlier, if you have an unexplained loss in appetite, it contributes to your sudden, unexplained weight loss. This sudden weight loss usually results in losing more than 5% of your body fat in a very short amount of time. By the short amount of time, we are talking between 6 months to a year without exercise, or any physical activity and dieting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since your body will not feel like eating, because you’re tumor that is growing in your abdomen, specifically your pancreas, is putting pressure on all your surrounding organs, especially your stomach,  This will make you think you’re dieting possibly and then you may account that to weight loss. So please make sure to check with a physician, if you really have no appetite because it can result in this unexplained weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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