Pancreatic Cancer Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore—and Why Experts See Hope on the Horizon
Doctors explain early signs, risk factors and new advances in pancreatic cancer care
While every cancer is daunting, pancreatic cancer is particularly alarming because of its notoriously low cure rate. There’s no getting around this grim fact, but there are steps we can take to help safeguard our health. Here, a leading gastroenterologist explains how to recognize potential pancreatic cancer symptoms and understand screening options for those with a family history. Plus, learn about promising advances in treatments on the horizon.
What is pancreatic cancer?
Like every cancer, this disease occurs when cells start replicating at an abnormal and uncontrolled rate, eventually forming a mass, explains Anish A. Sheth, MD, chief of gastroenterology at Penn Medicine, Princeton Medical Center.
Is pancreatic cancer hereditary?
“Certainly, if you have a first-degree relative—like your mother, father or sibling—with pancreatic cancer, you should be getting screened periodically because you are at higher risk,” says Dr. Sheth.
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But we can also develop pancreatic cancer without a family history. “When a tumor is removed, it is analyzed and tested, and certain mutations can sometimes be identified—not necessarily ones inherited from a parent,” explains Dr. Sheth. “We tend to think of all cancer, including pancreatic cancer, as a combination of a genetic predisposition plus possibly some environmental factors.”
Pancreatic cancer symptoms you should never ignore
Most people don’t experience symptoms in the early stages of the disease, which is why pancreatic cancer is typically caught too late to treat effectively. Still, it’s important to know the early warning signs of pancreatic cancer:
- Jaundice: The main symptom of pancreatic cancer is yellowing of the skin and eyes, reveals Dr. Sheth. He explains that this is due to the tumor in the pancreas blocking the bile duct. Worth noting: This type of blockage may also cause dark urine and/or itchy skin as bilirubin, a waste product found in bile, builds up in the body.
- Unexplained weight loss: If you’re losing weight or experiencing a loss of appetite and are unsure why, it could potentially be a symptom of pancreatic cancer.
- Upper back or abdominal pain: “This pain is persistent, it’s not typical back pain,” explains Dr. Sheth.
3 pancreatic cancer risk factors
In addition to a family history of the disease, age is a top risk factor. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly all pancreatic cancer patients are older than 45, and most cases develop between ages 60 and 80. Here, Dr. Sheth shares a few more common risk factors:
Chronic pancreatitis
The most common cause of this inflammatory condition is heavy, prolonged alcohol consumption, says Dr. Sheth, adding that “chronic inflammation in any organ increases the risk of cancer.” Having said that, chronic pancreatitis is rare.
Obesity
A study in the journal Annals of Oncology revealed that obesity significantly increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. That’s in part because excess fat is pro-inflammatory and disrupts hormone balance, creating conditions that can encourage cancer growth.
Smoking
Smoking is a leading risk factor for all types of cancer. In fact, a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that smokers have twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to non-smokers. (See our best tips to quit smoking here.)
The best pancreatic cancer treatments
The ideal treatment is surgery to remove the pancreatic tumor, says Dr. Sheth. “But most people will require chemotherapy to shrink the mass to a point where surgery can be effective.” Unfortunately, outcomes remain poor for many patients, even with aggressive treatment.
Hope on the horizon
The poor outcomes for people with pancreatic cancer are largely due to the fact that, by the time symptoms appear and it’s diagnosed, the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. “A clinical trial is considered successful if it prolongs life one or two months—that’s how dire this is,” says Dr. Sheth.
“We really want to get to a point where, when we diagnose people, we can do surgery, cut out the tumor and cure the disease. That can happen with early, enhanced detection,” he says, adding that he predicts such an advancement in the next 10 years. “Hopefully, we’ll eventually have a simple blood test—like the SHIELD blood test for colon cancer—that can test for biomarkers. This will probably make the biggest impact on pancreatic cancer rates.”
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