The value of pain in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer

The pancreas is located deep inside the body, and pancreatic cancer lacks specific symptoms in its early stages. The initial symptoms of pancreatic cancer are very similar to those of common gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary diseases: abdominal pain accounts for 60.8%, upper abdominal discomfort 28.6%, loss of appetite 23.6%, and jaundice 21.1%. Pain and discomfort in the upper abdomen and back, and unexplained indigestion are noteworthy and more meaningful symptoms.

Pain is of great value for early diagnosis and should be paid attention to. The pain site is mostly in the upper abdomen, followed by the hypochondrium, and less in other parts. The pain is generally unrelated to diet and is often persistent. The pain ranges from fullness and discomfort, dull pain to severe pain. The pain often radiates to the back or waist and back, and sometimes involves the shoulder. Some patients have been diagnosed and treated in orthopedics for a long time due to intractable and severe pain in the waist. This radiating pain is related to the location of the tumor: pancreatic head cancer radiates to the right, while body and tail cancer mostly radiate to the left. In addition, sometimes the pain worsens after eating or even colic occurs. If pancreatic cancer exceeds the boundaries of the pancreas and infiltrates into the celiac plexus of the posterior abdominal wall, it often presents persistent pain unrelated to eating. If the pancreas and bile duct are blocked or compressed by the tumor, or the tumor infiltrates into the gastrointestinal tract, the pain after eating is more severe than usual, and sometimes colic occurs. This pain intensifies with the progression of pancreatic cancer. In the late stage, some patients have to use analgesics frequently. In addition, the nerve plexus infiltrated by the tumor in the front of the spine is stretched in the supine position, and the abdominal pain is severe. The pain can be relieved when sitting or bending forward. Clinically, it is common for late-stage patients to take the knee-elbow position and groan in pain.