Pancreatic cancer can cause a dull pain in your upper tummy (abdomen), which may spread to your back. To begin with, the pain may come and go, but as the tumour becomes larger and more advanced, the pain may be more constant and last longer. The pain is often worse when you lie down or after you've eaten.
The main symptom of acute pancreatitis is a severe, dull pain around the top of your stomach that develops suddenly. This aching pain often gets steadily worse and can travel along your back or below your left shoulder blade. Eating or drinking may also make you feel worse very quickly, especially fatty foods.
Yellow eyes, itchy skin, persistent stomach ache and weight loss shouldn't be taken lightly as these symptoms may indicate pancreatic cancer. According to cancer.net, the cause of pancreatic cancer is often not known and a person with an averate risk of pancreatic cancer has about a 1% chance of developing the disease.
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with poor long-term survival, which is often accompanied by abdominal or back pain limiting the quality of life. Pancreatic pain in pancreatic cancer is associated with a poor prognosis and is typically described as deep-delving pain penetrating to the back[4].
Tummy or back pain
Pain is more common in cancers of the body and tail of the pancreas. People describe it as a dull pain that feels like it is boring into you. It can begin in the tummy area and spread around to the back. The pain is worse when you lie down and is better if you sit forward.
Inflammatory conditions that mimic PAC include paraduodenal pancreatitis (PDP) or “groove pancreatitis,” autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), mass forming chronic pancreatitis, obstructive chronic pancreatitis, intrapancreatic splenules, and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.
Typical warning signs of pancreatic cancer include: Recent rise in blood sugar levels. Back or abdominal pain. Recent weight loss.
Early pancreatic cancer may cause only vague, unexplained symptoms, such as: Pain, usually in the abdomen or back. Weight loss. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin, eyes or both) with or without itching.
It's difficult to detect pancreatic cancer in the early stages. This is because healthcare providers can't feel your pancreas during routine exams and it's difficult to see these tumors on routine imaging tests.
Age. The risk of developing pancreatic cancer goes up as people age. Almost all patients are older than 45. About two-thirds are at least 65 years old.
Mid-back pain can be a sign and symptom of pancreatic cancer. The pain can be caused by a tumour invading nerves or organs that lie near the pancreas. Some people also report that they feel pain in their shoulder or under their shoulder blade. Other people feel pain in their back and abdomen (tummy) at the same time.
Chronic pancreatitis signs and symptoms include: Upper abdominal pain. Abdominal pain that feels worse after eating. Losing weight without trying.
It's been described as a burning or shooting pain which comes and goes, but can last for several hours or days, in some cases. Some people also experience symptoms of nausea and vomiting during the pain. As chronic pancreatitis progresses, the painful episodes may become more frequent and severe.
The most common symptom of pancreatitis is severe pain in the upper belly. This pain may go through the body and into the back. When the pancreas isn't working correctly, the body can't break food down properly, and so patients often report nausea and vomiting.
Most of the time, pancreatic cancer lacks symptoms in the early stages, so it's often caught in more advanced stages, when the cancer has already spread beyond the pancreas. This article will cover: Signs that pancreatic cancer has spread.
A person's medical history, physical exam, and imaging test results may strongly suggest pancreatic cancer, but usually the only way to be sure is to remove a small sample of tumor and look at it under the microscope. This procedure is called a biopsy. Biopsies can be done in different ways.
Unfortunately, there is still no screening test, such as a blood test, that can reliably detect pancreatic cancer — much less small lesions, precancers, or early-stage tumors. What's more, noticeable pancreatic cancer symptoms that might raise a red flag, such as jaundice, rarely develop until the cancer has spread.
Abdominal pain is a common symptom of pancreatic cancer, as tumors that have grown fairly large start pressing on adjacent organs, causing discomfort and pain. It's also common for these cancers to cause pain in the patient's back, usually as a result of spreading to nerves surrounding the pancreas.
As the cancer grows, symptoms may include: Yellow skin (including yellowing of the gums and inner lips) and/or eyes, darkening of the urine, itching, and clay-colored stool, which are signs of jaundice caused by a blockage of the bile ducts.
The pain might be mistaken for a pulled muscle or as joint or bone pain. Pancreatic cancer can be hard to diagnose. Pain in the abdomen can happen for many reasons. Doctors may think the cause is pancreatitis, an ulcer, a pulled muscle, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a hiatus hernia or gall stones.
Pancreatic cancer can cause severe pain in the abdomen or back. Helping patients manage cancer-related pain is one of the most important aspects of cancer care. The best management for pain combines aggressive therapy with continual assessments to ensure that patients can maintain their quality of life.
Pain can be a major problem for people with pancreatic cancer. These cancers can invade and press on nerves near the pancreas, which can cause pain in the abdomen (belly) or back. Treatment is available to help relieve this pain. If you are having any pain, please be sure to tell your doctor or nurse.