Sadly, it is rarely caught at an early stage since the symptoms are not manifested until it progresses beyond the point of early intervention.
Shutterstock
It is usually when the cancer reaches more advanced stage that certain symptoms start to become noticeable. But even then, they can be vague and similar to those caused by a number of other conditions.Clinical trials information
The symptoms vary depending on what part of the pancreas — the head, body or tail — the cancer develops in.
The most common type of pancreatic cancer is ductal adenocarcinoma which starts in the cells that produce digestive juices.
Some of the most common signs, as described by Cancer Research UK, are as follows:
Pain in the stomach or back
Pexels
One of the most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer is pain in the upper abdomen, accompanied by back pain. This pain is usually constant and dull. At the early stages, the pain may come and go, but as the tumor grows larger it tends to be more constant and last longer.Early detection tests
The reason for this pain is the location of the pancreas. It is located in the abdomen, close to the spine. As a tumor develops, it may put pressure on nerves or organs, causing pain that spreads to the back.
