Pancreatic Cancer: Look For These Signs Now

Diabetes

Diabetes and the pancreas are inextricably connected. The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that helps the body use blood sugar, also known as glucose. Insulin lets glucose enter cells to produce energy, but when this doesn't happen, glucose pools in the blood, leading to high blood sugar. Symptoms of diabetes include neuropathy, renal disease, and high blood pressure. Patients who have battled the disease for longer than five years might be more prone to developing pancreatic cancer. Luckily, this can be prevented by getting proper nutrition as well as sufficient physical activity on a regular basis.

Uncover more details on pancreatic cancer symptoms now.

Fatty Stools

Fatty stools or steatorrhea is a symptom of pancreatic cancer where an individual's stools are oily, bulky, and difficult to flush due to the presence of excess fat. Malignant pancreatic tumors can cause fatty stools when they are still relatively small in size if they are located at the head of the pancreas, or if they become large enough and spread to this area. The head of the pancreas is very close to the common bile duct, and a mass in this area can cause the bile duct to become blocked. When the bile duct is obstructed, a substance called bile cannot pass from the liver into the small intestine. Bile is the substance involved in the process of digestion that is responsible for breaking fats down in the food individuals consume. When bile cannot reach the small intestine, it cannot perform its function on the food moving through the digestive tract. In these cases, everything else in the food gets broken down and digested normally with the exception of fats. When the food and undigested fats are excreted from the body, it is called fatty stool.

Get more information on what warning signs of pancreatic cancer everyone should be on the lookout for now.