The 7 easily missed ‘warning signs’ of ‘terrifyingly deadly’ cancer

A doctor is urging people to keep an eye out for potential warning signs of pancreatic cancer. The pancreas, located behind the stomach, helps digest food and manage blood sugar. What makes this form of cancer extremely dangerous is that it often grows silently without early symptoms, spreads rapidly, and forms a dense physical barrier that blocks treatments. Pancreatic cancer kills around three-quarters of patients within a year of diagnosis.

However, according to Dr Philippa Kaye, there are early signs that people should not ignore. She explains that these signs are usually not “a dramatic symptom” but rather “simply something about a patient’s health suddenly doesn’t make sense”.

Writing in the Daily Mail, she shared two stories about patients with the disease. One, who was suddenly diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and died within a few months, and then a second, who had developed Type 2 diabetes.

While Type 2 diabetes is “extremely common”, Dr Kaye explained that this patient did not look like the typical patient she would expect to develop it, in the sense that he was not overweight and had no family history of the condition and had been losing weight.

The combination of the signs rang alarm bells for the doctor, and further investigations revealed that the patient had pancreatic cancer.

Now, Dr Kaye is hoping to help people pay more attention to sudden changes that may seem unnoticeable, but are worth speaking to a doctor about.

1. Sudden development of diabetes

Developing Type 2 diabetes does not automatically mean the cause is a tumour. However, developing the disease in later life without the risk factors, such as being overweight or having a family history, should be looked into.

2. Unexplained weight loss

A sudden development of diabetes with unexpected weight loss would cause significant concern, as Type 2 diabetes is often seen in people who are overweight or suffering from obesity. Weight loss can be a sign of unmanaged sugar levels.

Following the first two, diabetes linked to pancreatic cancer can behave differently, with blood sugar rising rapidly and it being difficult to control. Levels can also climb despite treatment.

4. Change in bowel movements

Persistent change in your typical bowel movements is also a symptom that should be brought to your doctor’s attention. Your pancreas is what helps you digest food, and so if a tumour disrupts this process, then stools can become greasy, oily, pale, foul-smelling and prone to floating in the toilet.

Similarly, the urine is noticeably darker. Research examining symptoms in primary care suggests that this symptom can appear months before the cancer is diagnosed.

While back pain is extremely common, there is a particular pattern that patients should be aware of. According to Dr Kaye, the pain can begin in the upper abdomen and go straight through to the back. Some patients have found that it worsens after eating or when lying flat.

Jaundice is when your skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow. Pancreatic cancer causes jaundice by blocking the common bile duct, which stops digestive fluid from flowing properly from the liver into the small intestine.

It is important to note that none of these symptoms automatically means you have pancreatic cancer. However, if something about your health changes unexpectedly, persists or doesn’t make sense, do not ignore it. Speak to your GP.