This booklet covers the different procedures used to control pancreatic cancer symptoms with practical information about your hospital visit and returning home. Includes a section about second opinions, clinical trials and questions to ask your doctor and a glossary to explain some of the terms used.
A change in the way you poo may be a symptom of pancreatic cancer.
People with pancreatic cancer sometimes experience constipation (when your stools are very firm and difficult to push out, sometimes accompanied by stomach pain) or diarrhoea (passing of watery stools more than 3 times a day). Stools can also be large, pale, smelly and float. This is because there is too much fat in the stool as food is not digested properly.
Constipation and diarrhoea are quite common. However, if a change in your bowels keeps happening or lasts longer than a week, discuss this with your GP. It does not mean you have pancreatic cancer and your GP may be able to resolve your symptoms easily.
If you regularly experience one or more of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer which are not normal for you, do not ignore them, contact your GP straight away or call NHS 111 to investigate.
Keeping track of any symptoms you may be experiencing can be useful when discussing them with your GP.
It is important to remember that the symptoms of pancreatic cancer can be caused by many different conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome or indigestion, and aren’t usually the result of cancer.
You may not have all of the symptoms and they may come and go a vary in severity. Find out more about the different symptoms of pancreatic cancer: