What are the early symptoms of pancreatic tumors

With the improvement of medical level and the continuous development of technology, the diagnosis and treatment of medical diseases, especially tumors, have been greatly improved. However, pancreatic tumors are still a very difficult disease to conquer. This is because the location of the pancreas is relatively special and it is hidden relatively far back. Once a tumor is present, it is difficult to feel it by oneself. The early diagnosis rate is low, and the best treatment time is missed. It is difficult to cure, and the surgical risk is also high. The surgical mortality rate is very high.

Pancreatic tumor is a highly malignant tumor with a very poor prognosis. Despite great efforts in the past 50 years, no significant progress has been made in improving the survival rate of pancreatic tumors. The survival time of untreated pancreatic tumor patients is about 4 months, the survival time of patients undergoing bypass surgery is about 7 months, and the survival time of patients after resection surgery is generally 16 months. The National Institutes of Health reports that the overall one-year survival rate for pancreatic tumors is 8%, the five-year survival rate is 3%, and the median survival time is only 2 to 3 months. Statistics from surgery in my country show that the 5-year survival rate is only about 5%. Early diagnosis and early treatment are the key to improving the prognosis of pancreatic tumors.

Pancreatic tumors do not have very specific early symptoms. Although there is pain, not all patients experience tenderness. The pancreas is deep in the posterior abdomen and difficult to palpate. If a lump is felt, it is usually in the progressive or advanced stage. The most common early symptoms of pancreatic tumors are upper abdominal fullness, discomfort and pain. If a middle-aged person over 40 years old complains of upper abdominal symptoms, in addition to considering liver, gallbladder and gastrointestinal diseases, the possibility of pancreatic tumors should be considered.

Early symptoms of pancreatic cancer

The early symptoms of pancreatic tumors are as follows:

First: upper abdominal discomfort and dull pain: This is the most common initial symptom of pancreatic tumor. Abdominal pain is a very common symptom in patients with pancreatic head cancer. As for pancreatic body and tail cancer, the incidence of abdominal pain is even higher, and it may present as significant upper abdominal pain and back pain due to involvement of the celiac plexus. It should be pointed out that the appearance of this symptom often indicates that the disease has entered the late stage.

Second: Loss of appetite and weight loss: These are also common manifestations of pancreatic tumors. Tumors often block the excretion of pancreatic juice and bile, thereby affecting the patient's appetite and causing malabsorption, leading to significant weight loss.

Third: Obstructive jaundice: It is a prominent manifestation of pancreatic head cancer. If the tumor is located near the ampulla, jaundice may occur earlier. Jaundice is often persistent and progressively deepens. The stool becomes lighter in color or even clay-colored. The skin becomes yellow to brown or bronze, and there is pruritus.

Fourth: Abdominal masses: In addition to causing obstructive jaundice, pancreatic head cancer often causes gallbladder enlargement, which can be clearly palpated in the right upper abdomen. Obstructive jaundice accompanied by gallbladder enlargement often indicates a periampullary tumor. Patients with advanced pancreatic tumors may have a fixed mass in the upper abdomen.

Fifth: Others: ascites, cachexia, liver, lung or bone metastasis and other manifestations.

The early symptoms of pancreatic tumors are relatively hidden and easy to be misdiagnosed. Many patients are often not diagnosed until the late stage, when the cancer cells have already spread. Therefore, it is important to go to a professional oncology hospital for examination and diagnosis of pancreatic tumors in the early stages.