Common misdiagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Common misdiagnosis of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer can be a difficult condition to diagnose. Symptoms of the disease can be vague and therefore mistaken for other conditions which are more common.

Studies have found that pancreatic cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as conditions including:

• Gallbladder disease (any condition affecting your gallbladder, for example, gallstones)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn and reflux)
• Peptic ulcer (sore area in the stomach, oesophagus or small intestine)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Muscular pain
• Diverticulitis (inflammation or infection in the intestines)

Misdiagnosis of pancreatic cancer can delay getting a correct diagnosis in time for surgery. Patients who are misdiagnosed also have, on average, more visits to their GP and more diagnostic tests.

This increases the risk of pancreatic cancer being diagnosed late. To help your doctor correctly diagnose your condition, you may find it helpful to record how you feel and raise awareness of pancreatic cancer using our symptoms diary.