With nearly 16,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed in 2023, the incidence of this digestive cancer has been constantly increasing since the 1990s.
So much so that it could become, by 2030, the second cause of death from cancer, after lung cancer, in Europe and the United States, according to specialists. With a poor prognosis, cancer of this gland located behind the stomach progresses silently and most often presents no specific symptoms.
Thus, the majority of tumors are discovered too late, sometimes at a metastatic stage. With a survival rate of around 10% at 5 years, pancreatic cancer is only operable in 15% of cases, mainly because of the delay in diagnosis and treatment delays.
The SOS pancreas initiative, supported by the Specific Cancer System of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (ONCO AURA) and the Regional Union of Health Professionals (URPS) Liberal Doctors Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), aims to raise awareness among professionals health but also the general public for the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
She thus published a poster listing the 10 signs of pancreatic cancer which should alert. “Pancreatic cancer is a silent disease often detected late. If you have been experiencing one or more of these warning symptoms for some time, consult your doctor,” we read at the bottom of the infographic.
What are these signs?
1 – nausea and decreased appetite;
2 – depression;
3 – pain in the middle of the back;
4 – recent diabetes without weight gain;
5 – intestinal transit disorders (diarrhea, pale stools, fatty stools);
6 – deep vein thrombosis;
7 – abdominal or epigastric pain (in the pit of the stomach);
8 – jaundice;
9 – rapid weight loss;
10 – intense fatigue;
These signs are numerous and, for some, quite common. Raising awareness among caregivers and patients would, however, make it possible to identify symptoms earlier.
Source: ONCO AURA, Gustave-Roussy
