Pancreatic cancer: 10 symptoms that can arise and causes

Pancreatic cancer is a type of malignant tumor that can present some symptoms such as yellowish skin, onset on the whole body, abdominal pain, back pain or weight loss with no apparent cause.

The presence of symptoms and their intensity may vary depending on the size of the tumor, the affected area of ​​the pancreas, if the surrounding organs are affected and if there is the presence of metastasis.

The majority of cases of cancer in the pancreas do not present symptoms in the initial phase or are very mild, which makes early identification difficult. The diagnosis is made when the symptoms are very intense, which generally indicates that the cancer is at an advanced stage.

Main signs and symptoms

In most cases, cancer develops in the cells that produce gastric yokes, known as exocrine pancreas cancer, and can cause symptoms such as:

1. Piel y ojos amarilloswhen the liver reaches or compresses the conduits that transport the bile;
2. Orina darkwhich occurs due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood, due to the obstruction to transport the bile;
3. Heces blanquecinas or with greasedue to the difficulty of bilirubin and bilirubin to reach the intestine;
4. Comezón en la skinalso caused by the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood;
5. Strong abdominal pain in the form of a belt, radiating to the backwhen the tumor grows and compresses the organs of the pancreas;
6. Persistent digestionwhen it blocks the release of the pancreatic yokes to the intestine, making it difficult to digest food with fat;
7. Lack of appetite and weight lossdue to the alteration in the digestion and hormonal changes caused by cancer;
8. Frequent nausea and vomitingwhen the tumor blocks and compresses the stomach;
9. Formation of blood clots or bleedingdue to the interference in the coagulation caused by the hormonal changes of the illness, and by the injury caused in the organs and in the surrounding circulation;
10. diabetes developmentwhich can occur when the tumor interferes with the metabolism of the pancreas, altering the production of insulin.

In addition, this type of cancer can also develop in the cells responsible for producing hormones and, in these cases, the common signs are excess acidity and the frequent appearance of ulcers in the stomach, sudden changes in the levels of sugar in the bleeding, increased liver or severe diarrhea.

Since in the initial phase of this type of cancer it does not cause the appearance of symptoms, most patients only discover the diagnosis in a more advanced or terminal phase, when the cancer has spread to other regions, as their more difficult sea treatment.

Main causes of pancreas cancer

The emergence of pancreas cancer seems to be related to genetic alterations of the organ and some types can be hereditary, although the exact cause is not known.

There are also some risk factors that predispose to the development of cancer, such as age up to 50 years, smoking, consumption of alcoholic beverages in excess and food with excess of fat, fried foods and red meat.

Can pancreas cancer be cured?

When it is discovered at the beginning of its development, pancreas cancer can be cured, but finding it early is difficult, especially due to the location of this organ and the absence of characteristic symptoms.

The best treatment option is the surgery to remove the tumor, thus being able to cure this cancer, however, its accomplishment will depend on the stage in which the tumor is found.

Asimismo, another form of treatment for cancer of the pancreas is to perform radio and chemotherapy. Some cases can benefit from the extraction of the sick part of the pancreas and the affected tissues through surgery. Its treatment is extensive and new complications can arise, such as metastasis to other areas of the body.

When should you see the doctor

Having one or some of these symptoms does not indicate the presence of cancer, however, it is advisable to consult a general physician, gastroenterologist or endocrinologist when severe symptoms arise, which take more than 1 week to disappear.

In these cases, if the doctor cannot diagnose the problem through the clinical evaluation and with the performance of some blood tests, it is possible to indicate the performance of a computerized tomography to identify if there are alterations in the pancreas, as well as exams more specific blood tests, to observe if there are changes in the levels of some hormones that can confirm the diagnosis.