Introduction
This image carries a deeply personal and urgent message: “Pancreatic cancer: these two symptoms should have worried my father, who died 12 weeks ago.”
Understanding the early symptoms of pancreatic cancer is critical—too often the signs are subtle, overlooked, or mis‑attributed, and by the time the diagnosis comes, the disease has advanced. The following article walks through what pancreatic cancer is, what early signs (including those two mentioned) to watch out for, how it’s diagnosed and what you can do if you notice something’s off.
What is Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas start to grow uncontrollably and form a tumour. The pancreas lies deep in the abdomen, behind the stomach, making early tumour detection challenging.
Because the pancreas plays roles in digestion (exocrine function) and in regulating blood sugar (endocrine function), its impairment can trigger diverse symptoms.
Unfortunately, prognosis tends to be poor when diagnosis is delayed—so being alert to warning signs is especially important.
