Pancreatic Cancer : Symptoms

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Weight loss; Abdominal pain; Loss of appetite; Jaundice; Nausea and vomiting; Weakness; Fatigue; Diarrhea; Indigestion; Back pain; Clay-colored stools; Paleness; Depression.
Source:ADAM
Date:September 11, 2006
The pancreas is a gland found in the abdomen behind the stomach. The pancreas secretes juice that breaks down fats and proteins and releases hormones, such as insulin, to control blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer is uncontrolled growth of cell...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders Part I
The pancreas is a gland found in the abdomen behind the stomach. The pancreas secretes a fluid that breaks down fats and proteins, and releases hormones, such as insulin, to control blood sugar levels. Pancreatic cancer is uncontrolled growth of c...
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders Part II
An abdominal mass is a localized swelling or enlargement in one area of the abdomen.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 17, 2007
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 25, 2008
New and severe abdominal pain always needs to be closely evaluated by a doctor. It is frequently a sign of serious illness.
Source:StayWell
Repeated episodes of abdominal pain can arise from a variety of medical causes, including some serious conditions. Everyone who has unexplained abdominal pain requires a medical evaluation by a doctor.
Source:StayWell
Most of the time, children with mild abdominal pain are not seriously ill; the symptoms go away in a day or two and can be managed at home. However, if your child has severe abdominal pain or has a bellyache along with frequent vomiting, you should contact your child's pediatrician.
Source:StayWell
Abdominal pain is very common in children, and in many cases there’s no serious cause. But stomach pain can sometimes point to a serious problem, such as appendicitis, so it is important to know when to seek help.
Source:StayWell
Most stomachaches are nothing more than indigestion or gas. But stomach pain also could be appendicitis, gallstones, or a tubal pregnancy.
Source:StayWell
A swollen abdomen is when your belly area is bigger than usual. See: Abdominal girth
Source:ADAM
Date:April 4, 2008
Ascites is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. Rapidly developing (acute) ascites can occur as a complication of trauma, perforated ulcer, appendicitis , or inflammation of the colon or other tube-shaped organ (diverticulitis).
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Ascites is defined as an excessive amount of fluid built up within the peritoneal cavity. Both the abdominal organs and the abdomen itself are lined with membranes called the peritoneum.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Detailed information on liver diseases, including the most common characteristics of liver disease such as jaundice, cholestasis, liver enlargement, portal hypertension, esophageal varices, ascites, liver encephalopathy, and liver failure
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on common characteristics of liver disease
Source:StayWell
Discharge Instructions: Ascites ShuntYou had surgery to place an ascites shunt, a tube that drains excess fluid from your abdominal space into another place in your body. The fluid buildup is called ascites. 
Source:StayWell
Aversion to food and drink can be a temporary response to a benign illness, as with the common cold, or a response to a complex interaction of physical, mental and behavioral issues. While it is normal to experience a loss of appetite with certain conditions, when aversion to food and drink results in significant weight loss and nutritional deficits, it is important to seek medical advice.
Source:HealthLine
Date:October 31, 2007
Nonspecific back pain refers to pain in the back due to an unknown cause. See also: Low back pain
Source:ADAM
Date:May 12, 2008
Back pain may occur in the upper, middle, or lower back; it is most often experienced in the lower back. It may originate from the bones and ligaments forming the spine, the muscles and tendons supporting the back, the nerves that exit the spinal column, or even the internal organs.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
Instead of looking for a quick fix, try to develop a longer view. Healing takes time and is a gradual process. By doing daily stretching and stress-management exercises, the time it takes to heal your back will be shortened.
Source:StayWell
As your body changes during pregnancy, your back must work in new ways. This can be painful if your back isn’t prepared.
Source:StayWell
Four out of five adults suffer back pain sometime in their lives, experts say. And most of that back pain is in the lower back. That's because the low back bears most of the weight and is the most common site of poor posture.
Source:StayWell
Back pain has many sources. It can originate in the joints, muscles, or ligaments of the back itself or be caused by problems in other parts of the body.
Source:StayWell
These exercises will strengthen your back and buttocks muscles.
Source:StayWell
The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that in one year, more than 10,000 children ages 5 to 14 see doctors with backpack-related complaints.
Source:StayWell
Up to eight in 10 Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. For most people, back pain resolves, but for 5 to 10 percent, low back pain becomes a chronic condition.
Source:StayWell
More than half of American adults seek medical treatment for back pain at some point in their lives.
Source:StayWell
Ice reduces muscle pain and swelling. It helps most during the first 24 to 48 hours after an injury.
Source:StayWell
Smoking damages your arteries, and it’s thought that the damaged arteries in the discs and joints in your back may lead to pain and injury.
Source:StayWell
To heal your back and make your spine healthy, it's essential to build up and nurture the back muscles. This is accomplished by systematic stretching of not only the muscles in the back, but the other muscles in the body as well, since virtually all muscles in the body affect the back in one way or another.
Source:StayWell
Back pain is a common complaint: Nearly everyone will have low back pain that interferes with work or daily activities at some point in his or her life.
Source:StayWell
People who work in certain occupations, such as nursing, are likely to have back pain. But so can folks who work in an office every day if they don’t take proactive steps to protect their backs.
Source:StayWell
Think through each move before you make it, so you'll use the right muscles for the job. If you practice these safe moves now, they may come naturally to you by the time your baby's born.
Source:StayWell
Back pain is something you don't want to repeat. Recovering properly from a back injury and taking preventive measures can help you reduce your risk of going through it again.
Source:StayWell
Learning the proper ways to bend, lift, and carry objects may help relieve back strain. It will also help you protect your back after your baby is born. Remember, if you’re having trouble protecting your back, it’s okay to ask the people around you for help!
Source:StayWell
Four out of five people will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
Source:StayWell
Back pain can be caused by many illnesses and conditions, including stress or injury, being overweight, improper lifting, pregnancy, and diseases such as fibromyalgia and arthritis.
Source:StayWell
Before trying these exercises, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure they are safe for you. Ask your healthcare provider how many times to do each exercise.
Source:StayWell
Your back is important to almost every move you make, but you probably won't realize that until you hurt it.
Source:StayWell
If the pain occurs because of an accident or injury, or fever is present, you should see your health care provider immediately. Pain not accompanied by fever or not associated with an accident or injury may not need immediate treatment.
Source:StayWell
Did you know that standing, sitting, or lying in certain ways can lead to back pain? To ease pain, use positions that support your body comfortably.
Source:StayWell
If you have loss of bowel or bladder control, seek emergency help at once. Paralysis of the bowel and bladder could result if not attended to promptly.
Source:StayWell
Before trying these exercises, talk to your healthcare provider to make sure they are safe for you. Ask your healthcare provider how many times to do each exercise.
Source:StayWell
You likely position yourself differently now than you did before you were pregnant. Did you know that standing, sitting, or lying in certain ways can lead to back pain? To ease pain, use positions that support your body comfortably.
Source:StayWell
The cause of most back pain cannot be identified specifically, and is likely due to a conbination of factors. Imaging tests are not very useful and do not improve the outcome of treatment.
Source:StayWell
Is back pain in children common? What should you do if your child has back/low back pain?
Source:StayWell
Urine is produced in the kidneys, which are important organs for the health of our body. When we take fluid in, it passes from our digestive system into our circulatory system and is filtered through the kidneys.
Source:HealthLine
Date:September 30, 2007
Urine of an abnormal color appears different from the usual straw-yellow color. Abnormally-colored urine may be cloudy, dark, or blood-tinged. See also: Urine, bloody or dark
Source:ADAM
Date:July 23, 2007
Diarrhea is loose, watery, and frequent stool. Diarrhea is considered chronic (long-term) when you have had loose or frequent stools for more than 4 weeks.
Source:ADAM
Date:February 20, 2008
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Oncology: Controlling DiarrheaDiarrhea(loose stools) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Diarrhea results when treatment affects the normal cells lining the intestine.
Source:StayWell
Diarrhea From ChemotherapyDiarrhea can occur in cancer patients for a number of reasons. The tumor itself can bring on this side effect, as can changes in diet or an infection in the intestine.
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
We all dread diarrhea. But when the patient is your infant or toddler, diarrhea can range from a minor annoyance to a medical emergency.
Source:StayWell
If your diarrhea is substantial, if you have other unexplained symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, or blood in your bowel movements, or if your diarrhea has persisted for more than five days, you should visit with your doctor to discuss your symptoms.
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on traveler's diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Detailed information on diarrhea, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Common causes of diarrhea in babies include infections of the stomach and intestines (gastrointestinal tract) or changes in diet. Most cases of diarrhea are not serious, go away in a day or two and can be managed at home.
Source:StayWell
Answering the questions in this tool will help you understand more about the possible causes of diarrhea in children, and will help you decide when to call your doctor.
Source:StayWell
To most persons, diarrhea means an increased frequency or softer consistency of bowel movements; however, the medical definition is more exact than this. Diarrhea best correlates with an increase in stool weight; stool weights above 300 g per day generally indicates diarrhea.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 17, 2007
Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress , medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease. Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Boosting Your Energy provides information on the causes and treatments of persistent fatigue. Includes information on aging and energy, eating for energy, and boosting your energy.
Source:StayWell
Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the context of health and illness.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders
If you regularly feel weary after waking from a good night’s sleep or for no apparent reason, it’s time to find out why.
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: TreatmentIf the fatigue is related to a decrease in hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, then replacing the red blood cells by transfusion or taking erythropoietin can help reduce fatigue. If the fatigue is not related to...
Source:StayWell
Fatigue is physical and/or mental exhaustion that can be triggered by stress , medication, overwork, or mental and physical illness or disease. Everyone experiences fatigue occasionally.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Introduction Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the context of health and illness.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
Fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or loss of strength. The duration of fatigue for a patient with cancer has been found to last from one to two times the length of time between diagnosis and completion of treatment, so it is common for fatigue to persist beyond a patient ' s treatment regimen.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Fatigue: ManagementIf the person on chemotherapy has decreased hemoglobin, or oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, and it seems like the low hemoglobin level will last for a while, then a medicine called PROCRIT® (Epoetin alfa) may be prescribed...
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: CausesWe currently understand some of the causes of fatigue but not all of them. Fatigue may be related to physical changes caused by cancer or its treatment (chemotherapy, biotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery).
Source:StayWell
Fatigue: DefinitionFatigue is a vague feeling of being tired, weak, or exhausted. It is often a symptom of cancer, when cancer is first diagnosed, or when cancer progresses (Ferrell et al, 1996).
Source:StayWell
Many people experience late-in-the-day energy lags, but you can take steps to prevent them.
Source:StayWell
Oncology: Managing FatigueFatigue is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can be caused by worry, lack of sleep, and poor appetite.
Source:StayWell
Indigestion is a vague feeling of abdominal discomfort - possibly including belching, a feeling of fullness, bloating, and nausea.
Source:ADAM
Date:April 12, 2007
Dyspepsia can be defined as painful, difficult, or disturbed digestion, which may be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting , heartburn , bloating, and stomach discomfort. Causes and symptoms The digestive problems may have an identifiable cause, such as bacterial or viral infection, peptic ulcer, gallbladder, or liver disease.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on indigestion, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
Source:StayWell
Stomachache is pain or discomfort in the stomach that is a symptom of many different gastrointestinal diseases or conditions. Stomachache, also called dyspepsia, is a symptom of an underlying disease or condition of the gastrointestinal system.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Indigestion, which is sometimes called dyspepsia, is a general term covering a group of nonspecific symptoms in the digestive tract. It is often described as a feeling of fullness, bloating, nausea, heartburn , or gassy discomfort in the chest or abdomen.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
A "tummyache" is a common complaint in children. Usually, it's nothing serious.
Source:StayWell
Indigestion, which is sometimes called dyspepsia ,is a general term covering a group of nonspecific symptoms in the digestive tract. It is often described as a feeling of fullness, bloating, nausea, heartburn , or gassy discomfort in the chest or abdomen.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Itching is a tingling or uneasy irritation of the skin that makes you want to scratch the affected area.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 21, 2006
Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin ' s surface or confined to just one area. The medical term for itching is pruritus.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Expert-reviewed information summary about pruritus (itching of the skin) as a complication of cancer or its treatment. Approaches to the management and treatment of pruritus are discussed.
Source:StayWell
Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin ' s surface or confined to just one area. The medical term for itching is pruritus.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health
Itching, also called pruritus, is an unpleasant sensation of the skin that causes a person to scratch or rub the area to find relief. Itching can be confined to one spot (localized) or over the whole body (generalized).
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Itching is an intense, distracting irritation or tickling sensation that may be felt all over the skin ' s surface, or confined to just one area. The medical term for itching is " pruritus.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
Detailed information on pain management and itching and burn care
Source:StayWell
Jaundice is a condition in which the patient has a yellow hue because of high blood levels of bilirubin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin that is potentially toxic. The yellow discoloration is most noticeable in the skin, the sclera (whites of the eyes), and the inner surface of the eyelids.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Jaundice is a condition in which a person ' s skin and the whites of the eyes are discolored yellow due to an increased level of bile pigments in the blood resulting from liver disease. Jaundice is sometimes called icterus , from a Greek word for " the condition.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
Click here to begin. Jaundice usually is noticed first on the face, in the whites of a baby's eyes, and then on the rest of the body. The best way to notice the yellow color is in good light, such as daylight or fluorescent light, but it always is more difficult to see jaundice in infants with darker skin color.
Source:StayWell
Refers to the yellowing of skin, sclera (white of eyes), mucous membranes, and of body fluids such as urine and blood plasma. Jaundice is caused by excess bilirubin in the blood stream.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence
Anorexia is characterized by a loss of appetite or lack of desire to eat. Anorexia is common in cancer patients with reported incidence between 15% and 40%.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer
Detailed information on anorexia, including causes, characteristics, types, diagnosis, treatment, complications, and prevention
Source:StayWell
Appetite StimulationSymptom and Description Loss of appetite is a loss of the desire to eat. Not eating can lead to weight loss.
Source:StayWell
Your loss of appetite may be because of anxiety or depression, aging, medications or a health concern.
Source:StayWell
A harvard Medical school physician answers your question about the prevalence of anorexia in men, and discusses the biological and environmental factors that influence the disorder in both sexes.
Source:StayWell
Women suffering from anorexia nervosa may benefit more from general support than in-depth therapy, according to a recent study.
Source:StayWell
Nausea is the sensation of having an urge to vomit. Vomiting is forcing the contents of the stomach up through the esophagus and out of the mouth.
Source:ADAM
Date:July 25, 2007
 A Recipe to Ease Nausea: Gingerbread With Brown Sugar Meringue"Gingerbread. Ginger cookies.
Source:StayWell
Nausea is the sensation of having a queasy stomach or being about to vomit. Vomiting , or emesis, is the expelling of undigested food through the mouth.
Source:Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine