Have you ever felt like something was off with your body, but you just couldn’t put your finger on it? Most of us, when we feel a little tummy trouble or bloating, just think it’s stress, or maybe something we ate didn’t agree with us, or just plain old gas. And so, day after day, we ignore these little signals from our bodies. But when they stick around, they can be a big cry for help from something much more serious.
That’s why today I want to talk about one of the most dangerous and quiet cancers out there: pancreatic cancer. This disease can be tricky, even for doctors, because its early signs are so easy to miss. If you don’t know what to look for, it can get pretty far along without anyone noticing, or with symptoms so subtle that most of us would never connect them to something so serious. That’s why, in more than 90% of cases, it’s found when it’s already too late.
The good news is, I’m going to show you how to spot when those seemingly harmless early changes might actually be big red flags you shouldn’t ignore. Let’s look at eight key symptoms that could make all the difference between catching it early or finding out when treatment options are very limited. And I’m warning you, symptoms one and two are so unusual and so little known that most people ignore them, not realizing they could be the first warning signs. (Insights shared by Dr. RN Veller)
📌The Silent Threat: Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is often called a “silent killer” because it rarely shows clear symptoms in its early stages. The pancreas is a gland located behind your stomach, and it plays a big role in digestion and blood sugar control. When a tumor starts to grow there, it can mess with these important jobs, leading to a range of subtle signs that are easy to brush off as everyday aches and pains. But paying attention to these small changes can be incredibly important.
🎯Key Takeaways
- Early detection of pancreatic cancer is rare but crucial.
- Many symptoms are vague and easily mistaken for other, less serious conditions.
- Persistent or worsening symptoms, even if mild, warrant medical attention.
⚠️Eight Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore
Let’s start our countdown of the eight key symptoms. Remember, these might seem minor on their own, but if you notice several of them, or if they stick around, it’s time to talk to a doctor.
➡️8. Mild Abdominal Pain
That uncomfortable feeling in the upper part of your belly, right below your ribs or in the pit of your stomach—does that sound familiar? What’s interesting about pancreatic cancer pain is that it comes and goes. Sometimes it’s after meals, other times when you’re stressed, or even for no clear reason. Since it’s usually mild, we often blame it on bad digestion, nerves, or something that just didn’t sit right.
But what many people don’t know is that the pancreas sits right behind your stomach, close to your spine. When a tumor starts to grow there, the swelling or the tumor itself can press on nearby nerves. This causes that uncomfortable feeling, often described as a mild pressure or ache. This is different from heartburn, which feels like a burning sensation, and also different from gallbladder or liver pain, which is usually more on the right side of your belly.
Here’s what’s even more misleading: often, pancreatic pain feels better when you lean forward or lie down in a certain position. This makes people think it’s nothing serious, just a bad posture or a temporary issue. But if you notice this discomfort happening again and again, getting more frequent, and not getting better with antacids or common remedies, don’t ignore it. Your body might be trying to tell you something. And be careful: in later stages, this pain can start to spread to your back, especially the middle or lower part. So, if you’ve been feeling this symptom often, seemingly for no reason, and it comes and goes, pay attention. It might not just be a simple back problem.
➡️7. Jaundice (Yellow Skin or Eyes)
Jaundice means that yellowish tint that can start to show up on your skin, the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet, and especially the whites of your eyes. You’d be surprised how many people don’t notice this color change in their skin right away because it starts very subtly. At first, it’s just a faint yellow tone that’s easier to see in bright light or natural sunlight, especially in the eyes. But little by little, if it’s not caught, this color spreads to other parts of your body.
What does this have to do with the pancreas? It’s super important to understand this: when a tumor grows in the head of the pancreas (the part closest to the gallbladder and bile ducts), it can start to block them. This blockage stops bile—that digestive fluid that helps process fats and get rid of toxins—from flowing properly into your intestines. What happens then? Bile starts to build up in your body, and one of its parts, bilirubin, goes up in your blood, giving your skin and eyes that distinct yellow color.
➡️6. Changes in Urine and Stool
But it doesn’t stop there. This process also triggers other changes in your body that, if you notice them in time, are real warning signs that could save your life. Symptom number six: your urine gets darker, like black tea, even if you haven’t been drinking less water or are not dehydrated. Your poop, on the other hand, gets lighter and can range from grayish to even whitish, like clay. And since bile also helps digest fats, you might start to feel heavier digestion and stomach discomfort after eating fatty foods. These signs can show up together or separately, but the important thing is not to ignore them if they stick around for several weeks for no reason.
➡️5. Unexplained Weight Loss
Without changing your diet or exercising more. At first, many people think this is a good thing. “How lucky! I’m losing weight without doing anything. My metabolism must be better.” But what they don’t know is that in most cases, when weight loss is fast (5-10 kg in a few months) for no clear reason and keeps going, it’s your body’s way of telling you that something serious might be happening inside.
Why does this happen? Because the pancreas, besides making insulin to control blood sugar, is in charge of making several enzymes to help digest food. When a tumor grows inside it and affects it, this organ starts to fail in its digestive jobs. As a result, your body doesn’t properly absorb the nutrients you eat. The outcome? Even if you eat the same as always, your body won’t be able to use those calories.
You start to lose muscle, body fat, and your weight drops quickly. But pay attention, because this is key: it’s not just about seeing a lower number on the scale. This weight loss comes with a more weakened look, a sharper face, darker circles under your eyes, and a constant feeling of tiredness, as if your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs to keep going.
And you know what’s most worrying? This process can start so subtly that at first, you don’t even notice. But as time goes on, you look in the mirror and see that thinness. Suddenly, your belt or clothes fit looser, or what’s more common, a few weeks pass and a loved one tells you that you look thinner. Of course, unexplained weight loss can be linked to other conditions like thyroid problems, uncontrolled diabetes, or intestinal parasites. But if you’ve noticed this in recent months, it’s time to see a doctor.
➡️4. Vision Changes and Brain Fog
Have you ever felt like suddenly it’s hard to focus your vision, or that you need to squint to see well, even up close? Or maybe you’ve noticed your eyes get tired faster, that lights seem to bother you more easily, or even that your concentration and mental sharpness aren’t what they used to be? Many people ignore these signs because they think it’s tiredness, chronic stress, or just a part of getting older. But these changes can also be linked to a pancreas that isn’t working right.
What does this organ have to do with your vision? When this organ fails, its ability to make insulin and control blood sugar also gets messed up. At that point, blood sugar levels start to get out of whack, even without a previous diabetes diagnosis. And your retina, that delicate layer at the back of your eyes, is very sensitive to changes in blood sugar levels. When it goes up and isn’t controlled, the tiny blood vessels in the retina start to weaken, can get inflamed, and even break, which directly affects how clear your vision is.
But it’s not just a vision thing. These imbalances also affect brain function. That’s why, along with vision problems, many people start to have trouble concentrating, frequent forgetfulness, and a constant feeling of brain fog. At that moment, most people think it’s nervousness, that they haven’t slept well, or just that they’re getting old.
But this is a mistake, because meanwhile, the real problem—that hidden tumor—can keep growing. So, if you’ve noticed lately that your vision isn’t what it used to be, that it’s hard to pay attention, or simply that your mind isn’t as sharp, don’t take it lightly, especially if you also have any of the other symptoms on this list, especially the ones I’m about to tell you.
➡️3. Constant Skin Itching
And pay attention, because now we come to the next symptom. Many people don’t know about it, and most don’t connect it to a serious problem. However, it’s one of the most telling. Number four: constant itching on your skin. Something as simple as this can be a warning sign that something isn’t right with your pancreas. And I’m not talking about that occasional itch that goes away on its own after a while, but a very intense feeling that lasts day after day, can get worse at night, even without visible rashes or irritation. And the most curious thing is that this itching is very related to what I told you before about jaundice.
When the pancreas starts to fail and the bile ducts get squeezed, bile can’t flow properly. As a result, bilirubin—that substance that gives skin and eyes their yellowish color—builds up in the blood. And those high levels of bilirubin and other bile products also irritate the nerve endings in your skin. The result? That constant, hard-to-control itch that can get worse at night, especially on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet, although it can also spread all over your body.
And you know what’s the big mistake many people make? People try to fight this itch with moisturizing creams, cold showers, or allergy medicines, thinking it’s just simple dermatitis or dry skin. Despite this, the itch stays there because the cause isn’t on the surface, but a warning sign of some internal process. So, if you add this to the other symptoms we’ve already seen or any of the following on the list, it’s time to open your eyes. You might be seeing the first sign. And if you listen to it in time, this can make the difference between early detection or a late diagnosis.
➡️2. Digestive Issues After Fatty Meals
And now get ready, because what I’m about to tell you in the next symptom is something that directly affects your intestines, your digestion, but that nobody connects with the pancreas. Symptom number three: have you ever noticed that after eating fatty foods, your belly bloats almost immediately? That uncomfortable feeling along with heaviness, as if the food isn’t going down, often with nausea, can be a direct sign that your pancreas isn’t doing its job correctly.
And listen to this because it’s key: often, that discomfort after eating is so intense that it makes you want to sit down and wait for it to pass. Why does it happen? Let me explain it simply. The pancreas doesn’t just control blood sugar levels; it’s also responsible for making digestive juices with enzymes that help digest proteins, sugars, and fats. And when this organ is affected by a tumor, the production of these enzymes drops a lot. At that moment, your body becomes unable to digest food properly, especially fatty ones, which causes a feeling that the food is just sitting there, not moving. And in some cases, this causes repeated vomiting, especially after very large or heavy meals. Notice that it’s not just a feeling of bad digestion.
And here’s the most alarming part: at first, this symptom only shows up at certain times, like a day when you ate too much or overdid it a bit. But over time, it starts to happen again and again, and gets worse. It becomes like a part of your routine, and that’s when you can’t ignore it anymore. And listen to this, because this is where many people go wrong. The most common thing to do when you feel this is to look for a quick fix: an antacid, a digestive tea, or just wait for it to pass. However, that temporary relief might be hiding something much more serious. That’s why my advice is clear: see a doctor if this symptom comes with any of the others you’re about to see on this list.
➡️1. Pale, Greasy Stools and Extreme Fatigue
Alright, we’ve reached the last two symptoms, which are undoubtedly the clearest signs that the pancreas is starting to fail, although most people don’t pay attention to them. I ask you, how often do you really look at the characteristics of your poop? Usually, people avoid looking, but what we get rid of every day is one of the most accurate reflections of what’s going on inside us.
When the pancreas doesn’t make enough digestive enzymes, especially those that digest fats, your poop takes on a very specific look. It can be pale, grayish, or even yellowish. And it often looks greasy, oily. It might even have a shine on the surface, float in the toilet, and be hard to flush. And to top it off, it smells much stronger and more unpleasant than usual. This happens because your body, not digesting fats well, gets rid of too much of them in your poop. And this isn’t just an unpleasant cosmetic problem; it’s a direct warning that your body is failing to digest essential nutrients, which leads us to symptom number one on our countdown: intense, unexplained tiredness or fatigue.
But this isn’t the typical feeling of being tired from not sleeping well or having a stressful day. We’re talking about a deep exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest or sleep. It’s like a feeling of not having enough strength to do basic activities, of feeling drained of energy from the moment you open your eyes, as if every day is an uphill battle. And pay attention, because this type of tiredness has two reasons when it comes to pancreatic cancer.
On one hand, malnutrition from poor absorption of nutrients and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), which deprives the body of essential elements to produce energy. And on the other hand, the inflammatory process itself and the wear and tear that the disease causes, leaving your body without reserves. So, if you notice, for no clear reason, that in recent weeks you’ve been feeling this type of tiredness, even during the simplest activities, and you’ve also noticed the other symptoms I just mentioned, it’s a clear sign that your body is screaming for help.
🔥When to See a Doctor
It’s important to remember that having one or even a few of these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you have pancreatic cancer. Many of these signs can be caused by other, less serious conditions. However, if you experience any of these symptoms persistently, if they get worse over time, or if you notice several of them together, it’s really important to talk to your doctor. Don’t wait. Early detection, even though it’s rare for pancreatic cancer, can make a huge difference in treatment options and outcomes. Your doctor can do tests to figure out what’s going on and give you the right advice and care. Listening to your body and acting when something feels off is always the best approach for your health.
Source: Nephrologist, Dr. RN Veller