Experts have revealed three symptoms that could be an early indication of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is seldom detected at its early stages when it's most curable. This is because it often doesn't cause symptoms until after it has spread to other organs.
Due to this, the survival rate of pancreatic cancer is much lower than other types, according to experts at John Hopkins Medicine.
However, there are some early signs of pancreatic cancer that can often go unnoticed.
These include gastrointestinal issues caused by a "tumour pressing on the stomach".
This may cause a feeling of nausea and may even be severe enough to cause you to vomit.
Another possible symptom is the feeling of indigestion.
Indigestion or heartburn is discomfort in your upper abdomen and can lead to abdominal pain and a feeling of fullness soon after you start eating.
Indigestion is usually not a sign of anything serious, but you should contact your GP if you suffer from the condition frequently.
Another indication of pancreatic cancer, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, is a loss of appetite.
There are also other warning signs that one should look out for.
The experts said: "Extreme tiredness may be a sign of pancreatic cancer, but it's also a common sign of other conditions," the experts noted.
"Either way, unexplained fatigue should not be ignored."
Other symptoms usually occur when the cancer has become advanced.
These include:
- Abdominal pain that radiates to your back
- Loss of appetite or unintended weight loss
- Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
- Light-coloured stools
- Dark-coloured urine
- Itchy skin
- New diagnosis of diabetes or existing diabetes that's becoming more difficult to control
- Blood clots
- Fatigue
It's not clear what causes pancreatic cancer, although doctors have identified some factors that may increase the risk of this type of cancer.
These include:
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Family history of genetic syndromes that can increase cancer risk, including a BRCA2 gene mutation, Lynch syndrome and familial atypical mole-malignant melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome
- Family history of pancreatic cancer
- Obesity
- Older age, as most people are diagnosed after age 65
