Health: Pancreas warning signs

IT’S A PART OF OUR BODY MOST OF US ARE NEVER AWARE OF – UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG. DR ELLIE REVEALS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT ORGAN

Pancreatic cancer is set to become the fourth-biggest cancer killer in the next decade, predicted to cause more than 11,000 deaths per year in the UK. Campaigners say it has suffered from a lack of research, resulting in few people being diagnosed early enough to be offered lifesaving surgery. Here’s what you need to know.

TUCKED AWAY

The pancreas is a large organ in the abdomen responsible for producing the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar and produces enzymes for digestion. It is hidden away behind the stomach, deep down inside the body – which means that if a tumour does develop, it has to be pretty large to cause symptoms such as pain that you would feel. This is one of the reasons diagnosis often occurs very late.

SILENT KILLER

Pancreatic cancer is often called a silent killer because the early symptoms can be unclear and go unrecognised. There are common diseases that can cause similar symptoms, so these would be diagnosed far more readily than pancreatic cancer, which is relatively uncommon. It can be mistaken for gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, stomach irritation or liver disease.

CLASSIC SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be vague, but there are some classic ones not to be ignored. The first is jaundice, which is when the skin and eyes turn yellow, and the urine goes dark. Also look out for any weight loss that is unexplained and dramatic (rather than just a couple of pounds). Another thing to be aware of is upper tummy pain that may go through to the back, just above your bra strap.

SURVIVAL RATES

Tragically, just five per cent of people with pancreatic cancer survive for five years or more – it has the worst rates of all the 22 common cancers. While other cancers have seen huge improvements in survival rates over the last decades, survival rates for pancreatic cancer haven’t really improved in 50 years. Campaigners feel this is partly due to it receiving only three per cent of overall cancer research funding.

TYPE 2 DIABETES

Pancreatic cancer can also cause other vague symptoms such as back pain, indigestion, nausea, loss of appetite and tiredness – but, of course, these might be symptoms of another condition. A new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in someone who’s not overweight should make a doctor think of pancreatic cancer, as it can be a sign that the pancreas is not functioning properly due to a tumour.

STOP SMOKING

Anyone can get pancreatic cancer, with men and women being affected equally. It’s more likely as you get older, and smoking is a definite cause. Although other pancreatic diseases such as pancreatitis are associated with alcohol, drinking has not been proven to be a cause of pancreatic cancer. Being obese is a risk for pancreatic cancer, and the disease can also run in families due to faulty genes.

EARLY DIAGNOSIS

Ten per cent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are eligible for surgery – they are the ones who are diagnosed early enough for an operation to be possible and successful. This hugely improves survival chances, which is why it’s so important for everyone to know what the early symptoms are. Other (non-surgical) options include radiotherapy, chemotherapy and treatment to control symptoms such as pain and sickness.