November – Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

Pancreatic cancer is a cancer that starts in the pancreas.  About 10,500 people are diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas in the UK each year.

Pancreatic cancer may not cause symptoms for a long time. Some people may only have one symptom.

Some possible symptoms are:

• pain and discomfort in the upper part of the tummy (abdomen) that sometimes spreads out into the back
• signs of jaundice such as yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, itchy skin, dark pee (urine) or pale and smelly poo (stools) that are difficult to flush away (steatorrhoea)
• unexplained weight loss.

Most people with these symptoms will not have pancreatic cancer. They may be caused by other more common conditions.  But if you have any symptoms, it is important to get them checked by your doctor.

Find out more about symptoms of pancreatic cancer.