Pancreatic cancer
As in almost every other tissue, malignant neoplasms can also develop in the pancreas. The so-called pancreatic carcinoma (cancer of the pancreas) is usually more likely to develop in the advanced stages. Depending on the location of the cancer in the pancreas, back pain or upper abdominal discomfort can occur.
Relatively typical is a painless yellow discoloration of the skin and the white conjunctiva (icterus). Digestive problems can also occur, as the growing tumour also affects the function of the pancreas. As with many other tumours, there is unintentional weight loss, which can also be accompanied by loss of appetite, and fatigue and reduced performance. Since the symptoms usually appear rather late, curative treatment is not often successful. You can read more information on this topic here: Symptoms of pancreatic cancer
Summary
Leading symptoms of pancreatic disorders are severe upper abdominal pain, which can radiate into the flank or even into the back. In addition, general symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting and weight loss often occur. Typical further symptoms of a pancreatic disease, which usually occur in very late stages of the disease, are digestive disorders with flatulence, diarrhoea and fatty stools, as well as the development of diabetes mellitus.
Acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) manifests itself in sudden, severe pain, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. A “rubber belly” and a yellowing of the skin usually appear only in the course of the disease. The symptoms are caused by the release of the aggressive pancreatic enzymes: the organ and surrounding structures self-digest.
The result is an inflammatory reaction that is difficult to control and spreads throughout the body, with the risk of circulatory shock and other diseases. A chronic inflammation occurs mainly in alcoholics and it is caused by the digestive disorders and diabetes, which are caused by the destruction of the pancreatic tissue. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant types of cancer.
This type of tumour grows without symptoms for a long time and metastasises early. Due to this combination, the complete recovery prospects of pancreatic cancer are very limited.
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