An important organ involved in the process of digesting food is the pancreas. It consists of a glandular tissue that produces enzymes, as well as pancreatic islets that produce the hormone insulin, and excretory ducts.
With the mutation of the genes, some cells mutate, because of which the glandular tissue and the epithelium, which lining the excretory ducts, uncontrollably divide. This development has pancreatic cancer - the first symptoms of cancer are manifested, unfortunately, already in the late stages of tumor growth, when it squeezes neighboring organs or sprouts in them.
Are there any first specific signs of cancer of the head or body of the pancreas at an early stage?
At the beginning of the development of the disease proceeds painlessly and is not accompanied by any symptoms. This is due to the fact that the tumor is not large size is a modified glandular tissue and at this stage does not affect the functions of the organ to a large extent.
The first noticeable symptoms and characteristic manifestations of pancreatic cancer are observed already in the late phase of progression, and about 70% of all cases of oncological pathology are at an incurable stage, when the tumor can not be removed and it does not lend itself to standard treatment with chemical preparations.
The first symptoms and signs of progressive pancreatic cancer in later phases of growth
Specific manifestations of the described disease depend on the localization of a malignant tumor - in the head or glandular body and the tail of the organ. At the first variant of growth of a neoplasm the symptoms appear a little earlier.
Given the location of the pancreas, the predominant signs of its cancerous lesions are pathological changes in digestion:
- dull pain in the upper epigastric part of the abdomen;
- nausea;
- saturation even when eating a small amount of food;
- diarrhea;
- bloating;
- backache;
- flatulence;
- presence of feces in feces;
- specific odor from feces;
- pain near the navel and in the right hypochondrium;
- aversion to meat, sweet and fatty foods;
- general deterioration of appetite;
- steatorrhea;
- sleep disorders;
- thrombosis of peripheral veins of migratory type (Tissaur syndrome);
- eructation with a sharp odor;
- vomiting of undigested food;
- itching;
- mechanical jaundice ;
- acquisition by a feces of light color;
- darkening of urine;
- dry mouth;
- weakness, fatigue;
- strong thirst;
- periodic internal bleeding;
- morbidity and increase in the size of the gallbladder.
In women, the very first signs of pancreatic cancer indicated above are supplemented by a strong weight loss, emotional disorders in the form of depressive episodes, neurasthenia, panic attacks.
As can be seen, the symptomatology of the described oncological pathology is non-specific and can be like a lot of other digestive and endocrine diseases. Therefore, to confirm the diagnosis should be carefully monitored.
Differential diagnosis with the first symptoms of any pancreatic cancer
The most accessible, as well as the most informative diagnostic techniques are:
- CT scan;
- ultrasonography;
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
They can detect a tumor, the size of which exceeds 2 cm.
To clarify the location of the tumor, its variety, origin, parameters, area of ​​involvement of the organ, help such methods of examination:
- X-ray of the duodenum and stomach;
- positron emission tomography;
- retrograde oral pancreatocholangiography;
- Fibrogastroduodenoscopy;
- angiography ;
- Aspiration biopsy of tissues with endoscopic ultrasound.