Abdominal pain, sudden weight loss, yellow skin and yellowish eyes are cited among the most commonly known symptoms for pancreatic cancer. And the truth of the matter is, by the time a patient exhibits theses signs, the cancer has most likely spread further to other organs inside the body, which limits the treatment options to a minimum. Cancer of the pancreas ranks number one in the mortality statistics. Unfortunately, even if the cancer gets detected early, the overall survival prognosis is rather poor. Medicine and science are feverishly researching in cures and effective treatments.
Any of the aforementioned pancreatic cancer symptoms is of subtle nature, which makes the diagnosis of the disease rather difficult. If you experience any of these signs, it is strongly advisable to consult with your primary health care professional right away. He will probably send you for a number of tests to narrow down the potential cause. It typically starts with an ultrasound or an MRI to look for the occurrence of a primary tumor and other masses on the organ and other parts inside the body. Possibly, a CT-scan and/or PET-scan will be conducted. If the slides indicate the presence of a tumor, a biopsy will help to determine if it is malignant.
After that, more tests will be ordered to determine the stage of the cancer. Pancreatic cancer is categorized in four main stages where Stage IV represents the least desirable outcome with the worst prognosis. The earlier the cancer is caught, the better are the treatment options and the more likely it is to maintain a good quality of life for a longer period of time.
If you encounter a pancreatic cancer symptom, don’t wait too long before you see your doctor. I know what I am talking about. A few months back ago (September of 2009) I found blood in my urine. I thought that this was no big deal and it will just go away again. However, my wife urged me to see an Urologist. And so I made an appointment and told him about my problem. After a CT-Scan it was determined that I had kidney cancer. A few weeks later my left kidney was removed. Luckily, the cancer hadn’t spread yet.
But if I had waited any longer, the outcome could have been significantly different and much more serious. So don’t waste time and make sure that you see a doctor immediately if you encounter any kind of unusual symptoms on you.
