Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a rare form of cancer
particularly in the younger population. Around 7,000 people in the
UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year, the cause of
this cancer is not currently known but cancer researches continue
to work on finding this.
Pancreatic cancer can sometimes be operated on if the tumour is
small, chemotherapy would also be used as part of a combined
treatment. Following diagnosis your consultant/doctor will be able
to discuss treatment options with you.
Things to look out for
Symptoms include but are not limited to:
- Abdominal Pain which may spread to your back: this pain may be
persistent or sporadic, it may become more intense when you are
lying down and may be relieved when sitting up pr leaning
forward.
- Unintentional weight loss and or loss of appetite
- Jaundice - yellowing of skin and or eye whites, jaundice can
also cause changes to your bowel habits, stool may become pale
while urine may become darkened.
- Fatigue and or depression
- Diarrhoea
- Indigestion and or a bloated feeling after meals
- Vomiting (Sickness)
These symptoms can be related to various other medical
conditions but due to the nature of pancreatic cancer it is vital
you speak to your doctor/consultant straight away if you experience
some or any of these symptoms.
