1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Abdominal Disorders

Pancreatic cancer?

Posted , 4 users are following.

gleb16401
gleb16401

I am 20 years old. Since the end of April I had this pain on my upper-right abdomen. It feels, as if it's in the skin sometimes, when I retract my belly, while laying on my left side, I can get mild sharp pains by pressing there. It didn't change in nature or intensity over these months, pain has no connection with food ingestion. I can get this mild pain by pressing there at any time.

At the same time, I had gas and weird diarrhea-like stools. They are not frequent, normal 1-2 times per day, but just odd-looking. No blood, sometimes I can find food there.

Did an ultrasound in June, was told that I had minor diffuse parenchymal changes in liver/pancreas + bile sludge. Was advised to just lay off heavy foods, but problems remained.

Fast-forward to where I am now, early September got to a doctor, she prescribed me with Creon and something else, took it for a while, got better with stools, but on my second Creon vial everything returned.

Lately, I've caught a virus, got mild fever, coughing, sore throat and it exacerbated all my symptoms. Light nausea, indegestion, I haven't lost any weight during summer, but I've lost about 1 kg after viral infection. This got me paranoid and anxious. I sometimes feel light pains jumping all around my abdomen and back, when lying with no clear pattern or explaination.

The only constant discomfort is this tender area on the right, which still produces this weird light pain upon pressure and sometimes weird feeling of very mild burning on the skin/muscle there.

I did another abdominal ultrasound yesterday, I told the sonographer about all my issues and concerns and she looked at my pancreas/gallbladder/liver/spleen all around very thorougly: said that I no longer have liver fat, bile excess and my sonogram is even better, the pancreas have diffuse structural changes of a very minor degree, which is considered a norm; no organ enlargement, no duct dilation, nothing,

I even asked her to press in the organ projection points for pancreas/gallbladder with no pain followed.

I am confused. I think it's the cancer of pancreas head... I didn't mention that, because I didn't want to receieve a label, but I do have concerns.

Other than that: my urine is transparent/light-yellow, no signs of jaundice, I think, overall lack of dynamics for 4-5 months time.

Recent minor weight loss and nausea with mild fever may be attributed to this viral infection with heavy throat soreness.

I've made an appointment for a good GI-doctor, where I'll hopefully solve my issues, but still...

Does this look like pancreatic cancer to you?

If it's not pancreatic cancer, then what it may be, given my symptoms?

It malignant tumor was in the pancreas head, would the US find at least duct dilation or some suspicious signs?

I am confused and scared. I need feedback from people, who went through this disease to provide me at least some insight.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • philippa61759
    philippa61759 gleb16401

    Posted

    By the time pancreatic cancer shows symptoms it is usually advanced and would show on scans.  When these tumours are small they usually do not show symptoms.  You would also have been told if a tumour had been found.  This has not happened.  

    Pancreatic cancer is very often dectected in older people; you are still very young.  I had the same fears as you but I was told it was highly unlikely given my age and symptoms. I was dagnosed with IBS.  Ask your GI for a colonoscopy since you have changes in bowel habit and if nothing is found, ask about IBS. Also get a stool sample tested for h pylori  and get a fecal calprotectin test to look for IBD and get tested for celiac.

    I looked at your photos but I can't tell anything frim them I'm afraid.  

    • gleb16401
      gleb16401 philippa61759

      Posted

      The thing, which scares me is that the pain upon pressing down on the right is persistent. 

      It is not really a painful kind of pain, but like a mild discomfort pain.

      It hasn't increased in intensity during 5 months. Just a constant tenderness area.

      I ignored it for quite a long time, yea. Sometimes I feel a subtle light burning sensation on the skin above this place.

      Weird stuff.

    • gleb16401
      gleb16401 philippa61759

      Posted

      There was also a brief 1-day pain in my right ribs. In the bones themselves and it occured upon pressing on them too, yea.

      It disappeared, but the tender area beyond the ribs remains.

    • philippa61759
      philippa61759 gleb16401

      Posted

      Does your pain move around your stomach and do you get dull, deep grinding pain along with the sharp,sore to touch pain?.  Do you get any relief from your pain after a bowel movement?  If so it may well be IBS especially if you have food particles in your stools and you are getting pain in your ribs.  Try keeping a food diary in case you maybe sensitive to a particular food.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.