🚨 Warning Signs of Pancreatic Cancer 🚨
Lizzy’s Story
The early signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer can often mimic other health issues. One symptom alone is probably just that; a minor issue. However, if a doctor is paying attention, the combined, specific signs and symptoms should lead to an early test for pancreatic (or other) cancer.
Lizzy was 48 years old when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, metastatic to the liver in November, 2018. She suffered tremendously and lived only five months following the diagnosis. If only we had known that all of her seemingly minor symptoms were really the start of the dreadful disease that killed her.
Early testing will find this cancer in the early stages and can prolong life for many years. Late stage diagnosis can be a death sentence. It is imperative to pay attention to your body and get the correct test(s) as soon as possible.
Lizzy died because her doctor(s) didn’t recognize that her symptoms were those specific to pancreatic cancer. Lizzy went to her doctor(s) for years, complaining of most of the listed symptoms, yet they didn’t diagnose her with pancreatic cancer until she was in excruciating pain. This is unacceptable.
I am not a doctor, nurse, nor any type of health specialist. I am a just a person who lost her sister and best friend because a doctor did not pay attention and investigate these specific symptoms of pancreatic cancer.
Please, review and SHARE this information with anyone suffering from ANY of the below listed signs and symptoms.
⚡ Quick-Scan Checklist
✅ Unexplained stomach pain or cramps
✅ Back pain that worsens over time
✅ Loss of appetite or sudden weight loss
✅ Feeling constipated but still passing small stools
✅ Floating/oily stools
✅ Dark green stools
✅ Persistent acid reflux/GERD
✅ Pre-diabetes diagnosis without obvious cause
✅ Unexplained itchiness or skin changes
✅ Severe trouble sleeping
✅ Unexplained muscle weakness
🚨 Warning Signs of Pancreatic Cancer 🚨
Real symptoms my sister Lizzy experienced before her diagnosis. If you notice several of these, don’t ignore them—keep a log and see your doctor.
1. Unexplained Stomach Pain and/or Cramps
Any stomach pain that is not explained must be investigated promptly. Lizzy felt unexplained stomach pain off and on for years. Her pains would appear for a few days, then go away. If you are having unexplained stomach pains, keep a log and make an appointment to see your doctor. In the later stages of the cancer, the stomach pain can remain without pausing and sometimes feel like cramping. Cramping may be due to blood clots in the stomach due to the cancer. Right before her diagnosis, Lizzy felt the stomach pain radiate to her mid-back, causing…
2. Unexplained Back Pain
Lizzy had just moved to Georgia in August of 2018 when her back pain really started to bother her. Previously, she complained of back pain occasionally but didn’t think it was anything serious. In 2018, she believed she had strained her back while lifting heavy furniture. I recall on our drive across the U.S.A., she couldn’t drive because her back hurt. Once she reached Georgia, she complained of back pain and her doctors prescribed her pain medication, which did not work. The back pain was mid-back, in the rib area. She described the pain as if someone was squeezing her very hard. After only two months, the pain became excruciating.
3. Unplanned Weight Loss
Loss of appetite or feeling full, faster than normal causes you to lose weight. When Lizzy moved to Georgia, we went out to eat Indian food. She took four bites of her food and said she was full. I still wanted to eat a lot more. This was a sign of a problem in her pancreas and bile duct.
4. Feeling Constipated
At least two years before her diagnosis, Lizzy complained of changes in her bowel habits. It was a constant topic of conversation. She stated she felt constipated, yet was still able to have a small bowel movement, several times a day. She spent a lot of time in the restroom. If you feel constipated all of the time, yet are still able to have several small bowel movements per day, this is a sign.
5. Poop Floats and Appears to be “Oily”
Your stools were meant to sink in toilet water. If you observe that your poop is now floating in the toilet and is surrounded by “oil rings,” you may have pancreatic cancer. Report this to your doctor immediately
6. Dark Green Poop
If you have pancreatic cancer, your stools (poop) color will change from common brown to a dark green. Do not ignore this. Green stools are a sign from your bile duct that something is very wrong. Have your doctor check for cancer.
7. GERD/Acid Reflux/Silent Acid Reflux
GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease is, what happens when acid reflux occurs repeatedly over time. The acid irritates the esophagus and it can be very painful. Most doctors will prescribe medication to help with the acid, but not check for cancer. If you suspect cancer, tell your doctor to order specific tests. Lizzy’s GERD stemmed from the tumor growing in her pancreas.
8. Diagnosis of Pre-Diabetes
A “pre-diabetes” diagnosis can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer. Your doctor will order a basic blood panel and then tell you that you are pre-diabetic. Lizzy’s bloodwork always came back normal except that she showed as being pre-diabetic. This baffled us because overall, Lizzy was a healthy eater and limited her sugar intake. The pre- diagnosis was a sign that her pancreas was under attack. If you get diagnosed with pre-diabetes, think about the other symptoms here and if you have any, get tested for cancer.
9. Itchy Skin
You may suddenly feel itchy for no apparent reason, even without a rash or redness. My sister did not have this symptom, but I felt I should share it because it is due to the bile duct not functioning correctly. Some people with early-onset of pancreatic cancer do notice this symptom. Note that her bile numbers were normal in all of her bloodwork until she was diagnosed.
10. Rashes or changes in skin pigmentation
The appearance of red or rashy skin is a symptom that I didn’t observe with my sister. Pay attention to your symptoms and don’t write them off as “nothing.” This sign, along with two or three others should have you wondering if it’s cancer. Lizzy stayed out of the sun because she would get blotches on her face if exposed. I don’t know if this is relatd to “changes in skin pigmentation,” but it just occurred to me that she complained of blotches.
11. Loss of Sleep
Lizzy struggled with sleep for two years before her diagnosis. She stated that she woke up “twitching” and could not get back to sleep. Just before her diagnosis, Lizzy said that the pain was so bad that she was unable to sleep. She told me she wasn’t getting 3 hours of sleep per night.
12. Unexplained Muscle Loss or Weakness
Although Lizzy never complained of this, looking back, I can recall that I had thought several times that either I was a lot stronger than her, or that she had become inexplicably weaker over a 2-3 year period. I observed that it took her longer to walk up a hill than it should have on our trip to Austria in 2015. Her muscle mass had diminished. She even complained that she twisted her knee on the walk up the hill at Schonbrunn. I thought this was odd, since it wasn’t a terrible hill. Do not ignore unexplained loss of muscle mass.
Tests for Pancreatic Cancer
Doctors may recommend a variety of tests to try to determine what is wrong with you. Some tests are likely to find it, while others are NOT. If you have two or more of the above symptoms, ask for a test that can determine if you have pancreatic cancer, especially if you or your family has a history of the disease.
Routine Bloodwork
Do NOT count on routine bloodwork to find cancer. Routine bloodwork is just that; routine. It will not tell the doctor if you have cancer. It will only alert the doctor to an issue that could be cancer. There are blood tests that can check for pancreatic cancer, but your doctor will have to order them specifically.
Lizzy had numerous blood tests over several years which came back as basically, “normal.” The only anomaly was that she was pre-diabetic (see Symptom 5). It was not until just before she was diagnosed that her liver levels were slightly elevated on a blood test. To be clear, a doctor looking at a routine blood panel can only see that the levels are elevated. They cannot determine if it’s cancer until other tests are completed.
Endoscopy
A doctor may order a regular endoscopy to examine your digestive tract. It will find problems in the stomach, but not the pancreas. For an endoscopy to see the pancreas, the doctor must do an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography, or ERCP. This is a specific test to view the pancreas. Request an ERCP if you are having any of the above symptoms.
There is ONLY one test I would highly recommend to determine if you have pancreatic cancer. It is the CT Scan WITH Contrast. This test can be done almost immediately and you will receive results within an hour. I don’t get why some doctors make you wait 2-3 days for results, but they do. The test you should get is the CT Scan WITH Contrast. If you can get it in the Emergency Room, do it.
CT Scan WITH Contrast
A CT SCAN WITH CONTRAST, also called a CAT scan, is the only test that can determine, with a minimal margin of error, if a person has pancreatic cancer.
The contrast is a liquid you drink and/or that is injected into your veins before the procedure. The ionized radiation causes the liquid to make cancer cells more visible. The exposure to radiation is minimal and the benefits outweigh the risks.
In April of 2017, Lizzy was given a CT scan without contrast. The radiologist who viewed the scan determined there was no disease. In 2020, after hiring an expert to review her medical records, it was determined that the pancreatic cancer was visible to the naked eye on her CT scan, however, the radiologist missed the disease. Had he noticed that she indeed had pancreatic cancer in April of 2017, her life may have been extended for many years or perhaps, she could have been saved. We will never know.
📝 Take Action
- Track your symptoms daily in a log (pain, digestion, sleep, weight).
- Tell your doctor if you notice two or more signs together.
- Push for testing. Don’t settle for “just acid reflux” or “just stress.”