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.
Upper abdominal pain (or discomfort) can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer.
Abdominal (tummy) pain or discomfort is one of the most common symptoms and one of the first symptoms to often present itself.
The pain or discomfort can be caused by the tumour invading nerves or organs that lie near the pancreas. The pain or discomfort is usually felt above the belly button and below the breast area (called the epigastric region), however, some patients report they have pain and discomfort without a specific location.
Having tummy pain or discomfort is a common symptom for many diseases and does not mean you have pancreatic cancer. However, if this is new and unusual for you or combined with other symptoms you should visit your GP to check.
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: