Pancreatic cancer develops when cells in your pancreas – an organ in the top part of the stomach – begin to multiply rapidly. How serious pancreatic cancer is and what treatment you might have depends on where it is in the pancreas, how big it is, if it has spread, and your general health. Unfortunately, survival outcomes are not as promising as some other cancers because the symptoms are often hard to spot or non-existent in the early stages. If your urine is darker than usual or your stools lighter, it could mean you may be at risk of the disease.
When pancreatic cancer spreads, it often goes to the liver, said the American Cancer Society.
The health site continued: “This can also cause jaundice.
“There are other signs of jaundice as well as the yellowing of the eyes and skin.
“Dark urine which sometimes is the first sign of jaundice is darker urine.
“As bilirubin levels in the blood increase, the urine becomes brown in colour.
“Light-coloured or greasy stools: Bilirubin normally helps give stools their brown colour.
“If the bile duct is blocked, stools might be light-coloured or grey.
“Also, if bile and pancreatic enzymes can’t get through to the intestines to help break down fats, the stools can become greasy and might float in the toilet.”
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What is jaundice
Jaundice typically occurs more often when there’s cancer in the head of the pancreas.
This is because the cancer blocks the bile duct, the tube responsible for carrying bile into the small bowel.
When the bile duct is blocked by cancer, the bile ends up in the bloodstream and urine – and it may lead to itchiness of the skin.
Bile contains a lot of yellow pigments, hence why it can turn the skin and whites of the eyes yellow.
Other signs to spot
According to Pancreatic Cancer UK, the symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be quite vague and may come and go to begin with.
According to the charity, common symptoms include:
Tummy (abdominal) and back pain
Unexplained weight loss
Indigestion.
It is also known to cause a number of changes to bowel habits.
According to Pancreatic Cancer UK, it’s estimated that smoking causes nearly one in three pancreatic cancers in the UK.
“Your risk of pancreatic cancer increases the more you smoke, and the longer you have smoked for,” warns the charity.
Research also shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Around one in eight pancreatic cancers may be linked to being overweight or obese.
Researchers conclude that around one in six pancreatic cancer cases in the UK could be prevented if people maintained healthy weight.
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