Pancreatic cancer history and symptoms

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aravind Reddy Kothagadi M.B.B.S[2]

Overview

A positive history of cigarette smoking, alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis and family history of pancreatic cancer are considered as risk factors for developing Pancreatic cancer. The most common symptoms of Pancreatic cancer include mid-epigastric pain, jaundice, sudden unexplained weight loss and dark urine and light-colored or greasy stools are suggestive of Pancreatic cancer.

History and Symptoms

• A positive history of cigarette smoking, alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis and family history of pancreatic cancer are considered as risk factors for developing Pancreatic cancer. The most common symptoms of Pancreatic cancer include mid-epigastric pain, jaundice, sudden unexplained weight loss and dark urine and light-colored or greasy stools are suggestive of Pancreatic cancer.

History

• Patients with Pancreatic cancer may have a positive history of:
  • Cigarette Smoking
  • Alcoholism
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Family history of pancreatic cancer

Common Symptoms

Common symptoms of Pancreatic cancer include:

• Weight Loss (significant)
• Jaundice
• Midepigastric pain which may also radiate either to the lower back region and mid-back region.
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Malaise
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Anorexia
• Dyspepsia
• Ascites
• Dark urine
• Light-colored or greasy stools

Less Common Symptoms

Less common symptoms of Pancreatic cancer include

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Blood clots
• Pruritis
• Steatorrhea
• Diarrhoea

• Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors and their Characteristics are mentioned in the following table:

Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors and their Characteristics
Tumor type and syndrome	Location in pancreas	Signs and symptoms	Circulating biomarkers
Insulinoma (Whipple’s triad)	Head, body, tail (evenly distributed)	Hypoglycemia, dizziness, sweating, tachycardia, tremulousness, confusion, seizure	CgA and CgB, insulin inappropriate for blood glucose level, proinsulin, C-peptide
Gastrinoma (Zollinger–Ellison)	Gastrinoma triangle Often extrapancreatic (duodenal); can be found anywhere in gland	Gastric acid hypersecretion, peptic ulcer, diarrhea, esophagitis, epigastric pain	CgA, gastrin, PP (35%)
VIPoma (Verner– Morrison syndrome, WDHA)	Distal pancreas (body and tail) Often spread outside pancreas	Watery diarrhea, hypokalemia, achlorhydria (or acidosis)	CgA, VIP
Glucagonoma	Body and tail of pancreas Often large and spread outside pancreas	Diabetes (hyperglycemia), necrolytic migratory erythema, stomatitis, glossitis, angular cheilitis	CgA, glucagon, glycentin
Somatostatinoma	Pancreatoduodenal groove, ampullary, periampullary	Gallstones, diabetes (hyperglycemia), steatorrhea	CgA, somatostatin
Ppoma	Head of pancreas	None	CgA, PP

References

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