Symptoms of pancreatic cancer patients' bowel movements

Pancreatic cancer patients will show a variety of symptoms, such as white stool is one of them. So, what is the reason for pancreatic cancer patients to have white stool? What are the dietary precautions for pancreatic cancer patients?

Why do pancreatic cancer patients have white stools?

In patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, the stool color often becomes lighter, or even white. This is because pancreatic cancer, especially pancreatic head cancer, can cause the mass to compress the ampulla, which is the opening of the bile duct. Compression can lead to obstruction of bile discharge and prevent bile from entering the intestine. Bile decomposition products are the main cause of stool color, so the stool color of patients with obstructive jaundice becomes lighter, which is called white clay-like stool.

What are the dietary precautions for pancreatic cancer patients?

1. The diet of pancreatic cancer patients should first be nutritious, easy to digest, less irritating, and low in fat. They can be given high-protein, high-carbohydrate foods, such as milk, fish, liver, egg white, fine flour foods, lotus root powder, juice, vegetable soup, and polished rice. They should also be supplemented with foods that can soften and dissipate lumps, soothe the liver and regulate qi, such as hawthorn, malt, coix seed rice, Shenqu, red bean, shepherd's purse, ophiopogon, costus root, trichosanthes root, angelica, astragalus, codonopsis, honeysuckle, kelp, seaweed, and laver.

2. Eat less or limit the intake of fatty meat, fish roe, brain marrow, greasy, fried foods and other foods that are difficult to digest. Avoid spicy foods such as onions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, and avoid smoking and drinking.

3. Avoid overeating, binge drinking, and high-fat diets. The pancreas is one of the main organs that secretes digestive enzymes, especially lipase, which is mainly secreted by the pancreas. Once the pancreas is diseased, the digestion of fat will be seriously affected.

4. Diet after pancreatic cancer surgery. The diet of the patient after surgery should be determined according to the condition of the disease and the situation during the operation. Generally speaking, water is not allowed within three days after the operation, and the physiological needs of the body are maintained through peripheral venous nutrition and central venous nutrition. After the gas is exhausted, some oil-free full-fluid food such as rice soup, fruit juice or vegetable juice can be eaten appropriately to stimulate the gastrointestinal tract. After the gastrointestinal tract gradually adapts, it can be changed to low-fat semi-fluid or low-fat general food according to the condition. Crystals that replenish qi and blood, strengthen the spleen and stomach should be used frequently, such as glutinous rice, red beans, broad beans, yam, wolfberry, mussels, figs, hazelnuts, milk, water chestnut powder, etc.

The symptoms of pancreatic cancer can cause great harm to the patient's health. When the disease is discovered, you must go to a regular hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time.