It's a busy time of year for cancer awareness as November is also pancreatic cancer awareness month. Around 8,800 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer in the UK each year. In this blog, our editor Elissia gives you some key facts about pancreatic cancer, including risk factors, signs and symptoms, and where you can get more support.
What is the pancreas?
The pancreas is part of the digestive system. It has two jobs in the body:
The pancreas is in the upper part of the tummy. It sits behind the bottom of the stomach, just in front of the back bone.
Are there any risk factors for pancreatic cancer?
Researchers don’t yet know what causes pancreatic cancer. But there are factors that could increase your risk:
What signs and symptoms should I look out for?
You may not notice any symptoms for a long time, but the most common ones are:
Other signs include losing your appetite, indigestion, sickness, feeling bloated after meals, changes in your bowel habits, or feeling very tired or depressed.
It’s important to speak to your GP straight away if you are worried about any of these symptoms.
Are there different types of pancreatic cancer?
There are different types of pancreatic cancer, and they are named after the place where they are found in the pancreas.
The most common type (more than 95%) is ductal adenocarcinoma. This type starts from cells in the lining of the pancreatic ducts.
Less common types include:
We have more information about the types of pancreatic cancer in our booklet Understanding cancer of the pancreas.
Where can I find more information?
You can read more about pancreatic cancer in our booklet Understanding cancer of the pancreas and on our website. Our cancer support specialists can also help with any questions you have. You can call them on 0808 808 00 00.
If you’d like to promote awareness of pancreatic cancer, we have a poster that you can download and print out.
Pancreatic Cancer UK also have more information about this type of cancer.
To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.
We're with you every step of the way
The Macmillan team is here to help. Our cancer support specialists can answer your questions, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00.
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