Pancreatic cancer is hard to treat because it is difficult to detect. Thus, knowing the early warning symptoms of the condition will help you get medical attention before it advances and becomes untreatable. Usually, in most cases of pancreatic cancer, the symptoms start to show only when the tumor has spread significantly, typically outside the pancreas. At the same time, just because you have these symptoms does not indicate you have the condition.

Early warning symptoms of pancreatic cancer to know about

1. Jaundice
When you have jaundice, there is a noticeable yellowing of the skin and eyes. This is one of the early warning symptoms of pancreatic cancer and is caused due to bilirubin accumulation. Bilirubin is a dark-yellow brownish substance that your liver produces and bile is the liquid released by the organ. The bile will pass through the bile duct to reach the intestines to break down the fats. When this common bile duct is blocked, it is unable to pass and bilirubin builds up as a result. Cancers originating near the top of the pancreas are located close to the bile duct and put pressure on it, causing jaundice. The cancers developing at the tail, however, will not press on this duct and cannot be detected until they have spread further. Besides yellowing of the eyes and skin, you will notice dark-colored urine, greasy and light-colored stools, and itchy skin.

2. Back or belly pains
Pain in your back or in the abdominal region can be an early warning symptom of pancreatic cancer. Those cancers, which develop at the tail, tend to press on the surrounding organs and trigger pain. They may also spread to the nerves near the pancreas, causing back pain in the process.

3. Liver and gallbladder enlargement
When pancreatic cancer blocks your bile duct, the liquid builds up inside the gallbladder and enlarges it. This can be detected by the doctor through a physical exam. In advanced stages, cancer also leads to an enlarged liver. This too can be detected in physical examinations and imaging tests.

4. Loss of appetite and weight loss
When you find that you are losing a lot of weight without any specific cause, you should take it seriously. People with this condition may lose their appetite, resulting in drastic weight and energy loss.

5. Nausea and vomiting
When cancer starts to press at the extreme end of your stomach, it may block the way of the food particles passing through. This, in turn, triggers nausea, pain, and vomiting, which gets worse on eating.

6. Blood clots
These may be the first indications of pancreatic cancer; when a large clot starts in a leg vein causing deep vein thrombosis. The common symptoms are leg swelling, pain, redness, and warmth. When a piece of this clot breaks off and travels upwards to the lungs, it can trigger chest pain and difficulty in breathing. Pancreatic cancer is known to trigger a dull, sporadic ache in your upper abdominal area, which radiates to the back.

7. Bloating
When it comes to knowing the early warning symptoms of pancreatic cancer, being aware of sudden bloating, regardless of appetite, is vital.