Hello. I went to an ER four mos. ago because for six weeks I'd experienced severe and persistent itching from soles to scalp; fatigue; loss of appetite (I dropped 14 lb in 6 weeks, mostly muscle); and yellowing of my skin, though I couldn't see it bc my apt. is so dark.

The jaundice and severe itching indicated liver problems, so the ER doctor ordered blood work (sorry that I can't remember specifics), scans, and a biopsy. The blood tests showed markers for a tumor, and the scans showed the tumor itself, at the head of my pancreas; the biopsy was also definitive. (The biopsy was performed in conjunction with the insertion of a stent in my bile duct, which was blocked because of the cancer; the excess bilirubin in my blood had caused the itching and the jaundice.)

***The scans also showed nodules on my lungs; this is a not-uncommon phenomenon with pancreatic cancer, so keep that in mind if for any reason you later think you might have pancreatic cancer.*** (The nodules suggest metastasis; mine will be assessed in a few weeks via scans -- too small to biopsy.)

Fwiw, my symptoms were mild back pain, waist-level, right side; changes to my stool (an episode approx. every 3 weeks in which I felt intense pain in that spot, was constipated, and passed small bits of small-caliber stool). Unfortunately, I had no health insurance, and more than two years passed from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis -- my cancer is, unfortunately, advanced. It's *great* that you're making sure you're getting the tests you need, and I wish you a good outcome -- good health and for many more decades.

One last thing: Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion at another hospital. It's your health and your life.