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Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas which is an organ in your abdomen that lies behind the lower part of your stomach. Several types of growths can occur in the pancreas, including cancerous and noncancerous tumours. The most common type of cancer that forms in the pancreas begins in the cells that line the ducts that carry digestive enzymes out of the pancreas. Experiencing back and abdomen pain could signal the deadly disease.
A common symptom of pancreatic cancer is a dull pain in the upper abdomen and/or middle or upper back that comes and goes.
This is probably caused by a tumour that has formed in the body or tail of the pancreas because it can press on the spine.
Some patients describe pain starting in the middle abdomen and radiating into the back, explained John Hopkins Medicine.
The health site continued: “Pain can be worse when lying down and can often be relieved by leaning forward.
“Pancreatic cancer pain can differ from person to person, so be sure to discuss any new pain-related symptoms with your doctor.”
In a study published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, a case of a 22-year-old woman with abdominal pain signalling pancreatic cancer was investigated.
“Pancreatic cancer remains fourth among cancer-related deaths,” noted the study.
It added: “Its diagnosis is often missed, owing to its vague abdominal symptoms, leading to a diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer.
“A 22-year-old non-obese Asian woman, with no pertinent medical history, first developed reflux-type symptoms, and had several episodes of mid-back and abdominal pain.
“She had no history of pancreatitis or prior history of hospital admissions for abdominal pain.
“Despite the treatment, she had persistent progressive pain, which led to further diagnostic evaluation including endoscopy and computerised axial tomography (CT) of the abdomen, revealing an abnormality in the head of the pancreas.
“Our patient had no risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
“Persistent unexplained abdominal pain led to further diagnostic work up revealing the pancreatic cancer.”
The study concluded that if experiencing abdominal or back pain, it could be an early warning sign of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is rarely diagnosed in the early stages.
This is because, in most cases, symptoms don’t appear until much later in the disease.
Pain can be a major problem and shouldn’t be ignored.
Identifying patterns of pain can help your doctor diagnose the possibility of pancreatic cancer and whether it’s spread.
Other signs to spot
The national health body listed other signs of pancreatic cancer to look out for which include:
- The whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow (jaundice), you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
- Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
- Feeling tired or having no energy
- A high temperature, or feeling hot or shivery
- Feeling or being sick
- Diarrhoea or constipation, or other changes in your poo
- Pain at the top part of your tummy and your back, which may feel worse when you are eating or lying down and better when you lean forward
- Symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling bloated
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