Thousands of people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK every year, with survival rates being the lowest of all common cancers.
While there are many factors at play here, the gloomy statistic isn’t made any better by the fact that the warning signs are often reluctant to rear their ugly heads.
What’s worse, once the symptoms do show up, they could be mistaken for other conditions, according to an expert.
Abbas Kanani, pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, said: “Some of the symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcer, muscular pain or diverticulitis, which is the inflammation or infection in the intestines.”
Therefore, the pharmacist recommended familiarising yourself with the tell-tale signs and seeking a doctor’s help.
What are the red flag signs of pancreatic cancer?
The first warning signs usually strike only once the cancerous tumour starts growing.
During this time, the pharmacist shared you may notice the following symptoms:
- Stomach or back pain
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of your eyes and skin itching)
- Loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss
- Changes to your bowel movements
- Darker pee and paler poo than usual.
Kanani added that these initial symptoms are usually followed by stomach problems, ranging from nausea to bloating.
“Feeling or being sick, diarrhoea or constipation, symptoms of indigestion such as feeling bloated [can occur],” he said.
Furthermore, some people with the deadly condition are found to be newly diabetic or have been diagnosed with diabetes within the previous year, the expert noted.
When to see a doctor about pancreatic cancer
While these symptoms don’t guarantee you have pancreatic cancer, it’s still important to arrange to see a doctor.
Kanani said: “You should see a GP if you notice that you’ve lost a considerable amount of weight, have other symptoms of pancreatic cancer that get worse or do not get better after two weeks or you have a condition that causes symptoms with your digestion that are not getting better after two weeks of using your usual treatments.
“You should ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if the whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow, you’re sick for more than two days, you have diarrhoea for more than seven days or you have symptoms that you’re worried about, but are not sure where to get help.”
At the appointment, your doctor can ask to feel your tummy and conduct some tests.
You may be then referred to see a specialist in a hospital for more tests if your GP thinks your symptoms need to be investigated further, the NHS notes.
“This may be an urgent referral, usually within two weeks,” the health service adds.