ON THIS PAGE: You will find out more about changes and other things that can signal a problem that may need medical care. Use the menu to see other pages.

People with pancreatic cancer may experience the following symptoms or signs. Symptoms are changes that you can feel in your body. Signs are changes in something measured, like by taking your blood pressure or doing a lab test. Together, symptoms and signs can help describe a medical problem. Sometimes, people with pancreatic cancer do not have any of the symptoms and signs described below. Or, the cause of a symptom or sign may be a medical condition that is not cancer.

Doctors often say that pancreatic cancer is a “silent disease” because there are not many noticeable symptoms early on. Also, there are currently no specific tests that can reliably find the cancer for people who do not have symptoms. When people do have symptoms, they are often similar to the symptoms of other medical conditions, such as an ulcer or pancreatitis (see Risk Factors). As the cancer grows, symptoms may include:

• Yellow skin (including yellowing of the gums and inner lips) and/or eyes, darkening of the urine, itching, and clay-colored stool, which are signs of jaundice caused by a blockage of the bile ducts

• Pain in the upper abdomen, back, or arms

• Painful swelling of an arm or leg due to a blood clot

• Burning feeling in the stomach or other gastrointestinal discomforts

• Stomach bloating

• Floating and/or oily stools with a particularly bad odor and an unusual color due to the body not digesting fats well

• Weakness

• Loss of appetite

• Nausea and vomiting

• Chills and sweats

• Fever

• Unexplained weight loss

If you are concerned about any changes you experience, please talk with your doctor. Your doctor will ask how long and how often you’ve been experiencing the symptom(s), in addition to other questions. This is to help figure out the cause of the problem, called a diagnosis.

If cancer is diagnosed, relieving symptoms remains an important part of cancer care and treatment. Managing symptoms may also be called "palliative care" or "supportive care." It is often started soon after diagnosis and continued throughout treatment. Be sure to talk with your health care team about the symptoms you experience, including any new symptoms or a change in symptoms. You may also want to consider keeping a written log or notebook about your symptoms with specific details and dates to assist your discussions with your health care team.

The next section in this guide is Diagnosis. It explains what tests may be needed to learn more about the cause of the symptoms. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide.