Symptoms

People with pancreatic cancer may experience the following symptoms. Sometimes, people with pancreatic cancer do not show any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be caused by a medical condition that is not cancer. If you are concerned about a symptom on this list, please talk with your doctor.

Doctors often refer to pancreatic cancer as a silent disease because it usually does not cause any noticeable symptoms in the beginning. Also, there are currently no blood tests that can reliably detect the cancer while it is in its early stage. As the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

• Yellow skin and eyes, darkening of the urine, itching, and clay-colored stool, which are signs of obstructive jaundice (blockage of the bile ducts)
  
  
• Pain in upper abdomen or upper back
  
  
• Painful swelling of an arm or leg due to a blood clot
  
  
• Burning feeling in stomach or other gastrointestinal discomforts
  
  
• Floating stools with a particularly bad odor, due to malabsorption of fats
  
  
• Weakness
  
  
• Loss of appetite
  
  
• Nausea and vomiting
  
  
• Unexplained weight loss