Pay attention to 6 common symptoms and avoid 4 things to stay away from “cancer king”

Pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages because it has no obvious symptoms. When diagnosed, it is often in the late stages of cancer, and the 5-year survival rate is very low, so it is known as the “king of cancer.” According to statistics from the American Cancer Society , pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers and about 7% of all cancer deaths in the United States. The Cancer Society estimates that about 66,440 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and about 51,750 will die from pancreatic cancer. The Society also pointed out that only 12.8% of patients survive 5 years or more after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Experts remind people to pay attention to the six common symptoms of pancreatic cancer so that they can get timely treatment.

6 common symptoms of pancreatic cancer

The pancreas is an organ located in the abdomen and has two major functions: exocrine and endocrine. The former secretes pancreatic juice to help digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats; the latter secretes hormones into the blood, including insulin that lowers blood sugar and glucagon that raises blood sugar, to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels.

Jing Tong, a doctor at the New York Jing Tong Gastroenterology Center and assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine, recently said in the New Tang Dynasty’s “Health 1+1” program that the early symptoms of pancreatic cancer are not specific, but can be summarized into the following 6 symptoms. If several of these symptoms appear, it does not necessarily mean that you have pancreatic cancer, but after excluding other common diseases, you should consider the possibility of pancreatic cancer.

1. Stomach and back pain

The pain associated with pancreatic cancer varies from person to person. Some patients experience long-term dull pain in the upper abdomen, middle back, or upper back, which may be due to the pancreatic tumor compressing the spine. Some patients also describe pain starting from the middle abdomen and radiating to the back; the pain is aggravated when lying down, and leaning forward can usually relieve it. If middle-aged or older patients experience long-term abdominal pain and cannot be relieved by seeing a stomach doctor, it is necessary to consider whether there is a lesion in the pancreas.

2. Jaundice

Because the pancreatic tumor blocks the bile duct, bile cannot flow into the duodenum, causing yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, pale and greasy stools, and itchy skin.