Forecasts suggest that more and more new cases of pancreatic cancer may be diagnosed annually by 2040, which makes awareness of symptoms a top priority.
With a generally poor prognosis, pancreatic cancer is one of the most devastating diagnoses anyone can receive.
Oncologists say this type of cancer has the lowest survival rate of all common cancers.
The dismal statistic is not helped by the fact that this cancer usually causes no symptoms in its early stages. Once symptoms appear, they often affect the abdomen, where the tumor is located, but other parts of your body can also be alarming.
“Asthenia may be your body's subtle way of alerting you to ongoing pancreatic cancer. This warning sign, also known as physical weakness, describes a lack of energy that can affect certain parts of the body as well as the entire body. This symptom may involve parts of your body, such as arms and legs, or affect the entire figure. You may feel weak all the time or most of the time, and performing daily activities can become more difficult, “says oncologist Andrey Vorobyov exclusively for MedikForum.
Asthenia is considered one of the most “common” signs of pancreatic cancer.
After examining 185 participants, the research team found that this red flag targeted 86 percent of patients with the disease. The scientists obtained symptom data through face-to-face interviews, with symptoms recorded by the attending physician upon admission to the hospital.
Scientists concluded that “due attention” to warning signs and symptoms could help identify patients with pancreatic cancer at an earlier stage, which is the key to any cancer.
“Depending on the location of the cancer, one of the 'early' warning signs could be itching. Itching, or itching of the skin, describes skin that feels prickly and causes an irresistible urge to scratch it,” Vorobyov adds.
Therefore, it is essential to be able to identify all the warning signs associated with pancreatic cancer, including:
- The whites of the eyes or skin turn yellow (jaundice).
- Darker urine and paler feces than usual.
- Loss of appetite or weight loss without trying.
- Feeling tired or lack of energy.
- Fever, feeling hot, or shivering.
- Feeling or sick.
- Diarrhea, constipation, or other changes in stool
- Pain in the upper abdomen and back, which may worsen when you eat or lie down and lessen when you lean forward.
- Indigestion symptoms, such as feeling bloated.
While these symptoms do not guarantee you have pancreatic cancer, as they may be caused by other benign diseases, it is “important” to get tested see a doctor, an oncologist advises.
MedicalForum has previously written about the benefits of ginger for cancer prevention.
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