pancreatic cancer signs and symptoms

Signs and Symptoms:

Pancreatic cancer often is called a "silent" disease because it typically doesn't cause symptoms early on. The cancer may grow and spread for some time before symptoms develop, which may be so vague that they are initially ignored. For these reasons, pancreatic cancer is hard to detect early. In many cases, the cancer has spread outside the pancreas by the time it is found. When symptoms appear, their type and severity depend on the location and size of the tumor.

Common symptoms may include:

Jaundice — If the tumor blocks the bile duct so bile can't flow into the intestines, jaundice may occur, causing the skin and whites of the eyes to turn yellow, the urine to become dark and the stool to turn clay-colored.
Pain — As the cancer grows and spreads, pain often develops in the upper abdomen and the back. The pain may increase after a person eats or lies down.
Weight Loss — Cancer of the pancreas can also cause unintentional weight loss. This is often due to an inadequate intake of calories because of nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.

Digestive Problems — Digestive problems may occur if the cancer blocks the pancreatic juices from flowing into the intestines, which help the body break down dietary fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Stools may be different than usual and appear pale, bulky or greasy, float in the toilet, or be particularly foul-smelling.

Risk Factors:
Although the cause of pancreatic cancer is unknown, risk factors have been identified that increase a person's chance of developing the disease. These include:

Smoking — People who smoke cigarettes are two to three times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than non-smokers.

Age — The risk of pancreatic cancer increases with age. People over the age of 60 are more commonly diagnosed with the disease.

Race — African Americans are more likely than Asians, Hispanics and whites to develop pancreatic cancer.
Some people with diabetes are more commonly affected by pancreatic cancer. Diabetes may also be a complication or an early sign of pancreatic cancer.

Diet — A diet high in fats, especially processed red meats, may increase the chance of developing pancreatic cancer.

Weight — Overweight people are more likely than others to develop pancreatic cancer.

Genetics:

While most cases of pancreatic cancer don't run in families, inherited conditions may increase the chance of developing pancreatic cancer.
About 5 percent to 10 percent of pancreatic cancers are considered hereditary, or related to a specific genetic mutation. Pancreatic cancer is considered to run in a family when two or more first-degree relatives — such as parents, siblings or children — have the condition. This is sometimes referred to as familial pancreatic cancer (FPC). If a person has a first-degree relative with pancreatic cancer, his or her risk is significantly greater than the average person's.
An increased risk also has been associated with a number of genetic syndromes including hereditary breast, ovarian and colon cancer and a serious type of skin cancer called familial atypical multiple mole syndrome (FAMMM).