
Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of your pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas releases enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help manage your blood sugar.
Pancreatic cancer typically spreads rapidly to nearby organs. It is seldom detected in its early stages. But for people with pancreatic cysts or a family history of pancreatic cancer, some screening steps might help detect a problem early. One sign of pancreatic cancer is diabetes, especially when it occurs with weight loss, jaundice or pain in the upper abdomen that spreads to the back.
Treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of these.
Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer often don't occur until the disease is advanced. They may include:
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (1:00) is in the downloads at the end of the post.
Please 'Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network.' Read the script.
Factors that may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer include:
See your health care provider if you experience unexplained weight loss or if you have persistent fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice, or other signs and symptoms that bother you. Many conditions can cause these symptoms, so your doctor may check for these conditions as well as for pancreatic cancer.
Related posts:
Cardiovascular disease is still the No. 1 killer in the world. The good news is that, generally, the numbers are getting better, with one surprising ...
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I suffered an injury while working out and my primary care physician ordered an X-ray. However, after reviewing the results, my doctor recommended ...
Experts reframe understanding of treatment impact over time, need for combination therapies ROCHESTER, Minn. — An expert work group has reframed what is clinically meaningful to ...