You have to be very attentive to these signs, even if they are not always serious.
The pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach at the top of the abdomen, plays a crucial role in our body. It produces enzymes that help digestion and hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which regulate the level of glucose in the blood. Three main diseases can touch the pancreas: acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Doctor Alice Boillere, oncologist specializing in digestive cancers at the Gustave Roussy Institute, underlines the signals which can alert on a dysfunction of this gland.
Intense pain located at the top of the abdomen, which spread to the back, can point out an acute pancreatitis. This sudden inflammation of the pancreas often tends to improve itself. These pains generally appear after a generous meal and often force the patient to adopt a position leaning forward to relieve the pain. Nausea and vomiting are also possible. The diagnosis is confirmed by an increase in a marker in the blood, the lipase. “Pancreatitis pain should not exclude pancreatic cancer, especially if the mass is located at the head of the pancreas” explains Dr. Alice Boillere. A tumor blocking the Wirsung canal can cause pancreatitis.
Difficulties to digest, associated with a loss of appetite and with fatty and smelly diarrhea, can point out a chronic pancreatitis. “Insofar as the pancreas contributes to food digestion, damage to the pancreas can cause food malabs, especially fats”argues Dr. Boille der. Chronic pancreatitis, persistent inflammation of the pancreas, causes irreversible lesions and a progressive destruction of its structure and its function. “Difficulties in digesting and fatty and smelly diarrhea can also be revealing of cancer”, she adds. The signs of pancreatic cancer generally appear at an advanced stage of the disease: significant fatigue, unexplained weight loss and jaundice. This yellowing of the skin and white of the eyes is due to the compression of the Choked channel by the tumor, preventing the evacuation of the bile of the liver to the intestine.
Persistent hyperglycemia can also indicate a dysfunction of the pancreas. The pancreas regulates blood sugar, and an increase thereafter can reveal a pancreatic problem or diabetes. If a symptom persists and the state of health deteriorates, it is crucial to consult a doctor for in -depth analyzes and examinations to identify and treat the cause quickly.
Thank you to Dr. Alice Boillelle, medical oncologist specializing in digestive cancers at the Gustave Roussy Institute