Pancreatic cancer; Cancer - pancreas

A tumor or cancer in the pancreas may often grow without any symptoms at first. This may mean pancreatic cancer is more advanced when it is first found.

Early symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

• Pain or discomfort in the upper part of the belly or abdomen
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Jaundice (a yellow color in the skin, mucus membranes, or the eyes)
• Dark urine and clay-colored stools
• Fatigue and weakness
• Nausea and vomiting

Other possible symptoms are:

• Back pain
• Blood clots
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty sleeping
• Indigestion

• CT scan of the abdomen
• MRI of the abdomen
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
• Endoscopic ultrasound
• Pancreatic biopsy

This disease may also affect the results of the following tests:

• Liver function tests
• Serum bilirubin
• Complete blood count (CBC)

Images

Endocrine glands

Pancreatic cancer, CT scan

Pancreas

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Pancreatic carcinoma Overview

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Pancreatic carcinoma Treatment

Review Date: 08/09/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Uniersity of Washington School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)