Pancreatic cancer gives symptoms that are very non-specific and that occur late and when the tumor evolves. What are the (first) signs? Back pain? Weight loss?
Difficult to detect, pancreatic cancer causes few symptoms especially at the beginning disease in both men and women. “There are not many specific symptomsbut some clinical manifestations can alert us to the search for pancreatic cancer“, says Pr Renato Lupinacci, visceral and digestive surgeon, Ambroise-Paré Hospital (APHP-Paris Saclay University). What are the signs to watch out for? A pain ? In the back ? Weight loss or weight loss? Great fatigue?
1. Unexplained weight loss
At first, pancreatic cancer is silent or gives non-specific symptoms. “In general, there is an alteration of the general condition such as weight loss associated to severe fatigue. rapid weight loss, even 2-3 kg, in a 60-70 year old patient who eats normally, who has neither dysphagia (swallowing disorder) nor difficulty eating should alert. It is not normal. You may have to do an abdominopelvic scan to visualize all the abdominal organs and more precisely the pancreas“, explains Professor Lupinacci.
2. Abdominal and back pain
Pancreatic cancer can sometimes cause abdominal and/or back pain “sometimes quite intense“, describes our interlocutor. “But back pain is a non-specific sign because it is common to a multitude of causes”wants to warn the specialist.
3. Severe fatigue
As for all cancers, we can observe a significant fatigue called asthenia. This fatigue occurs without particular effort and does not disappear despite rest. “It is a non-specific sign that is common to many diseases. But in a certain context and associated with other signs, fatigue can alert and lead to the performance of radiological examinations.says our expert.
4. Diabetes that comes on suddenly
“Diabetes and pancreatic cancer have an intricate relationship where each constitutes a risk of developing the other. In case of type 2 diabetes, the risk of cancer increases. The onset of diabetes also often precedes the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. In general, when diagnosing a pathology, you have to be sure that you are not missing something.“, insists the specialist. Additional examinations will be necessary to guide the diagnosis.
5. A yellow complexion
Pancreatic cancer can cause jaundice (jaundice). “If the cancer is localized at the head of the pancreasthe tumor can push towards the bile duct and compress the common bile duct which normally evacuates bile (biological liquid greenish-yellow) from the liver to the intestine“, explains Dr. Lupinacci. This obstruction of bile drainage will lead to a decrease in the formation of bile (cholestasis), which leads to yellowing of the white of the eyeskin and urine (dark urine).
Can pancreatic cancer be asymptomatic?
At an early stage, pancreatic cancer usually progresses silently or with very few specific symptoms. Also, “when the tumor is located at the tail of the pancreasthere are relatively few signs until the disease is at an advanced stage“, says Professor Lupinacci.
Are the symptoms the same in women as in men?
“Oui, immediately answers the pancreatic surgeon, there are no differences in clinical manifestations in males or females. The only difference is in the level pancreatic cancer risk factors : the BRCA gene mutationmuch more common in women and also associated with a predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer“
Thanks to Pr Renato Lupinacci, pancreatic and digestive surgeon at Ambroise-Paré Hospital (APHP-Paris Saclay University).