A charity is urging people to take a quick test to show how high their risk is of a deadly cancer. Every year on average 10,786 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Sadly the disease will kill 9,558 people every year with just over 70% dying within 12 months of their diagnosis. One in 10 will survive five years while just 5% – or one in 20 – will live 10 years.
There are few early symptoms but according to Pancreatic Cancer UK spotting the cancer quickly will give sufferers a much better chance of survival. It says: “Pancreatic cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stages.
“As the cancer grows, it may start to cause symptoms. The symptoms may not be specific to pancreatic cancer and they may come and go to begin with. This can make pancreatic cancer hard to diagnose.”
The charity has launched a campaign across social media urging people to take the quick, three question test to check their family risk. It warns: “Detecting pancreatic cancer early could save your, or a loved one’s life. Answer three quick questions to check your risk today. Whatever the outcome, we’re here to support you at every stage.”
The test explains: “While most cases of pancreatic cancer do not run in families, some can be inherited. Find out if you and your family may be at higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer.”
People are asked to answer questions about their family experience of the disease. They are also asked about other conditions which might affect the result. Then depending on their answers they might qualify to be monitored for the cancer.
According to the charity pancreatic cancer develops when cells in the pancreas grow out of control, forming a lump. This can be called a tumour, lesion or mass.
There are different types of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common type. Neuroendocrine cancers are less common – they behave differently and are treated differently. You may hear these called pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours or NETs.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer
While there are often no early symptoms there are some signs to watch for. These include:
- Indigestion which is a painful, burning feeling in your chest, upper tummy or throat.
- Tummy pain or back pain are common symptoms. The pain may start as discomfort in the upper tummy and spread to the back.
- Changes to poo, including diarrhoea (runny poo), constipation (when you find it harder to poo) and pale, oily, smelly poo that’s hard to flush (steatorrhoea).
- Unexplained weight loss – losing a lot of weight without meaning to.
- Jaundice, which causes yellow skin and eyes, dark pee, pale poo and itchy skin.
- Losing your appetite.
- Recently diagnosed diabetes, which is a condition where the amount of sugar in the blood (blood sugar level) is too high.
- Problems digesting your food, which causes bloating, lots of wind, burping, and feeling full up quickly.
- Feeling or being sick (nausea and vomiting).
- Blood clots in a vein (deep vein thrombosis or DVT).
- Fatigue, which is feeling very tired all the time, even if you rest.
- Less common symptoms of pancreatic cancer include fever, shivering, and generally feeling unwell, and depression or anxiety without any obvious cause.
When to see a doctor
The charity warns: “If you have jaundice, go to your GP or A&E straight away. If you have any of the other symptoms and you don’t know why you have them, go to your GP or contact NHS 111.
“Give the GP or NHS 1112 a good description of your symptoms. Mention anything unusual, even if you are not sure it is relevant.”
It adds: “Someone with pancreatic cancer may not have all the symptoms listed here, and symptoms can vary for each person.”
The charity continued: “It’s important to remember that the signs and symptoms listed here can be caused by more common things or health conditions. These include pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), stomach ulcer, gallstones, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver). They can also sometimes be signs of other cancers, so you should always get them checked out.
“If you are feeling unwell and you have any of these symptoms, speak to your GP to check if there is anything wrong. It’s important to remember that having these symptoms doesn’t always mean you have pancreatic cancer, but you should get them checked out.
“If your symptoms get worse or you develop any new symptoms, you should always see your GP. If your symptoms don’t improve, ask your GP for tests to find out if there is any condition causing them. You could keep a diary of your symptoms to show the GP.”