8 symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Symptoms often aren’t obvious until the disease is in the advanced stages, but if you notice any of the following signs associated with pancreatic cancer, talk to your doctor.
Your skin looks yellow

“Jaundice is one of the clearest symptoms of pancreatic cancer,” says gastroenterologist Dr Christopher J. DiMaio. “Often, patients feel fine until one day a friend notices their eyes look yellow, then they go to the doctor and find they have advanced pancreatic cancer.” Cancers that start near the head of the pancreas can block the bile duct, preventing bile from reaching the intestines, where it helps break down fats and eventually leaves the body in the stool. This bile builds up and causes jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin or eyes, he explains.
You experience abdominal or back pain

Place the tip of your finger on the top of your abdomen, just below the breastbone. Then imagine your finger pointing straight back through your body to the spine. That’s a common location that pancreatic cancer patients report feeling pain, says Dr DiMaio. “The pain is hard to describe, but a dull, internal pain in this area, or radiating around the sides of your abdomen to the back, is a tip-off and you should get it checked out,” he says. Cancers that start in the body or tail of the pancreas can press on nearby organs, causing pain. If the cancer spreads to the nerves surrounding the pancreas, this can cause back pain.