Path towards diagnosis Pancreatic Cancer

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Dear friends,

Since september 2023 I have experienced fatigue, followed by pain in the right upper abdomen and back, mainly when lying down. 

In january there was unexplained weightloss followed by nausea, noisy bowels, very frequent burps (due from bacteria feasting on your not digested food), fatty stools, diarrhea, and feeling bloated. I suspected cancer but after a colonscopy I supposed everything would be all right.

Nonetheless the symptoms remained, hence I searched specific on symptoms and stumbled upon pancreatic cancer. There was nothing else that came even close to the disease onset and progression. Hence I was 99% sure.

After abdominal ultrasound (27th feb), MRI (13 march), CT abdomen (26 march), MRI (8th May) and EUS (6th june), nothing has been found. Bloodwork revealed nothing serieus although tumor markers have not been checked out. 

However no explanation for my symptoms have been given and they have gotten worse through time. diarrhea each day (not more frequent but just thin poop), burping throughout the day, noisy bowels. pain in the back and abdomen upper right, that comes and goes and is unrelated to food or going to the toilet. 

Since april i have been developing lung problems as wel, coughing, itchy throat, shortness of breath, change of voice. I still think I have pancreatic cancer and perhaps even with lung metastases. Can anyone comment? for example having the same symptoms, but it being something else?

But I am also interested in your road towards diagnosis, as I know, many people have had frustrating yourneys towards diagnosis, with al lot of negative results but ending up nonetheless with this devastating disease. The problem is for me doctors take your problems far less serieus when scans are negative, while I think they should nonetheless keep searching for plausible explanations. Thank so much for yout input. 

  • Hi  

    It is really difficult when we are unwell and the doctors cannot get to a diagnosis let alone considering a treatment plan. We have quite a lot of information on the main site here about how pancreatic cancer is diagnosed and from what you say you have had quite a few of those tests.

    My wife if anything had the opposite issue in that the doctors were so sure she had cancer that they ignored other symptoms and as a consequence ended up in intensive care with sepsis.

    I hope you find out what is happening and that something can be done to help you.

    <<hugs>>

    Steve

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