Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer?

My husband is 48 years old and has been dealing with discomfort in his upper left abdominal area for over a year now. He's had a colonoscopy and upper gi within the past year. His mother passed away from pancreatic cancer on 9/30/2007 (less than 3 mos. ago). He is very gassy, doesn't appear jaundiced and has a normal appetite. He went in last week for a second upper gi, sonogram and x-ray of his abdomen. They took biopsies during the endoscopy (didn't do this during the first upper gi) and the results aren't back yet. I've been to all the websites with info on symptoms but want responses from those with first hand knowledge - is ongoing discomfort (not pain) in the upper left abdomen indicative of pancreatic cancer (along with the other symptoms I describe)? I know my husband is still considered young for this disease, but he seems to be exhibiting suspicous symptoms... i need to be prepared. my mother-in-law and father both died from cancer...i don't want to lose my husband.

oh, his grandfather (his mom's dad) died from pancreatic cancer on 10/12/2007 (within two weeks)

Hello,

The symptoms that you indicate your husband has - abdominal discomfort, gassy, heartburn, indigestion - are considered medically non-specific, and are very common in the general population. As you have probably have been reading, very often the first signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer are also fairly non-specific as well. A final point to consider is that pancreatic cancer - despite being very serious and nearly uniformly fatal disease - is relatively uncommon accounting for only 2-3% of all cancers.

So the bottom line is that it is VERY unlikely that your husband has pancreatic cancer - but unfortunately not impossible. To be honest though, I think that his chances of having pancreated cancer are only slightly higher than yours or mine, and this increse would only be because of his family history (although there is very litle increased risk or genetic predisposition in this disease) and because of his symptoms. I should also note that the vast majority of the time patients do not develop symptoms of pancreatic cancer until very late, so the fact that he has had these symptoms for more than a year, make pancreatic cancer even less likely.

Based upon your description of your husband suffering from anxiety and depression, it would be most likely that these problems are causing his symptoms than any malignancy. In fact, the vast majority of symptoms of bloating/fullness/abdominal discomfort are caused by stress and other psycholgic factors (I know - I've had them! - and seen many others as well).

Therefore, I would try my best not to worry. Continue following closely with your doctor to make sure you are on top of your husband's condition, and that any malignancies or other pathologies are caught. And finally, try to control his anxiety and other conditions (as well as your own anxiety!)

Good luck!

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most serious of cancers. It develops when cancerous cells form in the tissues of your pancreas 鈥?a large organ that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. Your pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates.

Pancreatic cancer spreads rapidly and is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death. Signs and symptoms may not appear until the disease is quite advanced. By that time, the cancer is likely to have spread to other parts of the body and surgical removal is no longer possible.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer often don't occur until the disease is advanced. When symptoms do appear, they may include:

* Upper abdominal pain that may radiate to your middle or upper back. Pain is a common symptom of advanced pancreatic cancer. Abdominal pain occurs when a tumor presses on surrounding organs and nerves. Pain may be constant or intermittent and is often worse after you eat or when you lie down. Because many conditions other than cancer can cause abdominal pain, be sure to discuss your symptoms carefully with your doctor.
* Loss of appetite and unintentional weight loss. Unintended weight loss is a common sign of pancreatic cancer. Weight loss occurs in most types of cancer because cancerous (malignant) cells deprive healthy cells of nutrients, and this is especially true in pancreatic cancer.
* Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice). About half of people with pancreatic cancer develop jaundice, which occurs when bilirubin, a breakdown product of worn-out blood cells, accumulates in your blood. Normally, bilirubin is eliminated in bile, a fluid produced in your liver. But if a pancreatic tumor blocks the flow of bile, excess pigment from bilirubin may turn your skin and the whites of your eyes yellow. In addition, your urine may be dark brown and your stools white or clay-colored. Although jaundice is a common sign of pancreatic cancer, it's more likely to result from other conditions, such as gallstones or hepatitis.
* Itching. In the later stages of pancreatic cancer, you may develop severe itching when high levels of bile acids, another component of bile, accumulate in your skin.
* Nausea and vomiting. In advanced cases of pancreatic cancer, the tumor may block a portion of your digestive tract, usually the upper portion of your small intestine (duodenum), causing nausea and vomiting.
* Digestive problems. When cancer prevents pancreatic enzymes from being released into your intestine, you're likely to have a hard time digesting foods 鈥?especially those high in fat. Eventually, this may lead to significant weight loss 鈥?as much as 25 pounds or more 鈥?and malnutrition.-

hi hope your husband is doing better i wanted to answer this question because early october my dad had fullness nausious stomach lost a little weight tired not himself went to the drs and a good thing he did go when he did they took a ultra sound of the abdomen a catscan of the abdomen focused on kidneys alot of blood a chest xray and a breathing test a rectal and a prostate check everything came back fine except th eultra sound and some blood work the ultra sound showed findings on both kidneys and th ecatscan showed cysts on each kidney well th eblood showed he had hpylori a bacterial infection in his stomach it was so bad it was attacking his kidneys he was on heavy doses of antibiotics he also had a hard time swallowing just not feeling good has your husband been tested for a bacterial infection of any sort maybe worth asking hop ethis helps god bless you and your husband