Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month 2017

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. About 8, 800 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year. In this blog, editorial assistant Amy-Louise explains what pancreatic cancer is, the symptoms and the causes and risk factors.

What is the pancreas?
The pancreas is part of the digestive system. It has two main roles. It makes:

• pancreatic juices – to help digest food for the body to use
• insulin – to help keep sugar levels in the body stable.

Cancer can occur in any part of the pancreas, but around 6 or 7 in every 10 pancreatic cancers (60 to 70%) start in the head of the pancreas. The head of the pancreas is the large rounded section next to the first part of the small bowel (the duodenum).

The other two main parts of the pancreas are:

• the body of the pancreas – the middle part
• the tail of the pancreas – the narrow part on your left side.

There are several different types of pancreatic cancer. The most common type is ductal adenocarcinoma, which starts from cells in the lining of the pancreatic ducts. We have more information about the other types of pancreatic cancer on our website and in our booklet, Understanding cancer of the pancreas.

What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer may not cause symptoms for a long time and some people may only have one symptom. This can make it harder to diagnose early.

The most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

• pain or discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen (tummy)
• jaundice, which can cause symptoms such as yellowing and itchy skin, dark yellow urine and pale bowel motions
• weight loss, even if there have been no changes in what you eat.

It is important to remember that most pain in the abdomen is not caused by cancer of the pancreas. Speak to your doctor if you are worried.

Other symptoms include:

• indigestion
• feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting)
• feeling bloated after meals
• diarrhoea or a change in bowel habits
• feeling very tired
• diabetes
• a blood clot in the leg (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) or the lungs (pulmonary embolus).

What are the risk factors and causes?
The main risk factors for cancer of the pancreas are:

• Age – Most people who develop pancreatic cancer are 65 or older. It is rarer in younger people.
• Smoking – About 3 in 10 (30%) of pancreatic cancers are caused by smoking.
• Diet and alcohol – Eating a lot of processed meats (such as ham, sausages, and bacon), and drinking large amounts of alcohol regularly may also increase the risk.
• Body weight and physical activity – Studies have found that being very overweight and physically inactive can also increase the risk.
• Family history – About 10 out of every 100 pancreatic cancers (10%) may be linked to faulty genes that can run in families

Certain medical conditions, such as chronic pancreatitis and diabetes, can also increase the risk. Our booklet has more information.

Where can I find more information and support?
We have a video in which Surgeon Charles Imber provides some more information about what pancreatic cancer is and what symptoms to look out for.

You can also read more about pancreatic cancer in our booklet Understanding cancer of the pancreas. We also have more information on our website.

You can call our cancer support specialists on 0808 808 00 00, or you could visit our Online Community to talk to people affected by pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic Cancer UK and Pancreatic Cancer Action provide information and support to people affected by pancreatic 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.

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