Pancreatic cancer warning signs, Digi Mart USA News: Pancreatic cancer, also known as pancreatic carcinoma, is among the most lethal types of tumors, partly because it often causes little discomfort for a long time. Specialists consider a newly developed type 2 diabetes in people of normal weight a possible alarm signal.
Five years after diagnosis, only 11 percent of patients are still alive, according to figures from the Center for Cancer Registry Data at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). By comparison, the figure for prostate cancer is 92 percent.
The low survival rate is partly explained by the fact that pancreatic cancer often causes symptoms only late, when it is already advanced.
Prof. Jens Werner, president of the German Society of Surgery (DGCh), said that about 50 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer are still diagnosed only once metastases are already present.
At that stage the tumor has spread to other parts of the body and cure is no longer possible.
Paying attention to changes in one’s own body is a good first step. A pancreatic carcinoma does not always show clear symptoms, but there are some warning signs.
The DGCh lists persistent upper abdominal and back pain, unintended weight loss, nausea and diarrhea, itching, yellowing of the skin or eyes, and newly developed type 2 diabetes, especially in slim people.
“Not every one of these symptoms points to cancer,” Werner said. “But precisely because the signs are nonspecific, careful evaluation is important.” If complaints occur without a clear cause or persist for an extended period, such as two to four weeks, they should be checked by a doctor, the Cancer Information Service advises.
If pancreatic cancer is suspected, or at the latest once a diagnosis is confirmed, it is advisable to go to a specialized center. These are usually affiliated with a university hospital and can be found through the website oncomap.de of the German Cancer Society.
The DGCh points to data indicating that survival chances are higher when pancreatic cancer is treated at such a center.
Unlike breast or colon cancer, there is no general early detection screening for pancreatic cancer. If there is an increased familial risk for the disease, statutory health insurance covers early detection examinations under certain conditions, according to the Cancer Information Service.
These can include MRI examinations or combinations of ultrasound and gastroscopy. Eligibility exists if at least two first-degree relatives, such as children or parents, have had pancreatic cancer.
A pancreatic cancer center is also the right point of contact in this case.
