Like many cancers, pancreatic cancer does not typically produce any early warning signs. The few symptoms that may appear are often nonspecific and resemble those of other illnesses, such as diabetes. For this reason, pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at later stages. Be sure to tell your doctor — and get a definitive diagnosis — if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Jaundice, yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes
- Dark urine
- pale stools, or stools that float in the toilet
- Itchy skin
- Loss of appetite
- Indigestion (heartburn, pain, fullness after eating)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
- General feeling of malaise
- Middle back pain, that is unrelieved by changing position
- Non-specific upper belly pain
- Change in bowel habits, such as loose bowel movements
- New or recent worsening of diabetes
