What were your symptoms of pancreatic cancer?

Yup...RN , worked since graduating in 1970.... just retired last year.In Cleveland area...UH and Ccf pretty much only options ..Will call Monday to see if I can get in sooner.Just this weird pressure under my sternum, unrelenting and all the other symptoms I mentioned ,along with sob and a cough.Did not know which one to address first.Thought to keep myself breathing first ..Thanks for the professional push!

You are so welcome. I was diagnosed as stage 4 end of June 2022. I was given "11 months with chemo" but here I am still kicking in March 2025! There is hope. There are ups & downs, but I am thankful for each day. I have had 65 treatments with Gemcitabine & Abraxane. 44 the first go round. Had 4 months off, but my CA19-9 started going up & restarted the same meds. Hoping it will go down & stay down for a while so I can have another "break"! I graduated in 1972 and retired around 2011. Sometimes as a professional you forget to take care of you! I was not trying to be mean, just giving you a "push". So glad you took it that way 🙂 This cancer is not something to put off.

I was diagnosed with/cyst on pancreas waiting to see pancreatic GI specialist takes so long to get appt! But my dr did a CA19-9 if it’s high will do PET Scan! I am a 25 yr breast Cancer surviver!

Symptoms could vary widely depending on location of tumor (if any) and type of cancer.

But I think your primary care doc should be able to order some simple blood tests that might identify or eliminate obvious things, and certain results might move you to the front of the line for advanced testing.

Aside from chipping nails (malnutrition), abnormal liver enzymes were my first real medical indicator of pancreatic cancer (PDAC in the head of the pancreas, starting to block bile duct drainage). Weight loss, stool/urine changes, and jaundice came later, along with very sudden-onset diabetes.

Blood tests your primary doc could order (besides the usual CBC and CMP) might include: CA19-9, CEA, liver function/enzymes, pancreas function/levels (amylase, lipase, C-peptide). None specifically indicate pancreatic cancer, but any/all of these might give a specialist (GI or oncologist) something to start with at your first appointment, or possibly indicate a need to visit the ER.

There are also cancer-specific DNA tests you can have done to at least start the ball rolling, and also give your next provider something to start from. No waiting required. The germline genetic cancer panel from Invitae tests your blood or saliva for about 70 inherited gene mutations that are associated with increased risk of cancer. I think you can get it done by self-pay for about $250. The Galleri test from Grail looks for circulating tumor DNA in your blood, and is said to detect up to 50 different types of cancer (with certain levels of accuracy -- definitely some false positives and false negatives). It's about $1000 self-pay. Both are available with a "prescription" you can get via phone consultation with one of their specialists.

My initial symptom was backpain that neither a chiropractor or physical therapist could help me with. In fact, the physical therapist suggested it might be something deeper. When I went to my primary care physician, I found him useless. He only referred me to an orthopedic who, of course, failed to diagnose anything.
It was only when the pain shifted to my abdomen, and I went to the ER was it diagnosed as a tumor on my pancreas. Ultimately pancreatic cancer. It could have been discovered two months earlier.
Moral of the story, if a doctor is busy trying to sell you on getting a flu shot instead of listening to your complaint, move on.

I went in and told my primary Doctor that I thought I had pancreatitis and she said oh no you would be in the hospital. I told her I have a high pain tolerance. Thank goodness she listened to me. I had a CT scan the next day. She called me a day later and said the found a spot on your pancreas. Then she schedule me for a endoscope and they confirmed that it was cancer he had to put in a Stent in the bile duct because it was partially closed. Was determined that it was stage 1 pancreas cancer. Went and seen the surgeon that next week. Went and had port put in the following week and then started chemo. I just told my Doctor that I was having all the symptoms related to the pancreas. Thank goodness she listened and I did Thank her alot for listening.

I had the bloating for at around 3 years, the nerve pain in back for around a year or so.
As for the tea coloured urine, was about 6 months ago and then followed by yellowing of skin which terrified me and I immediately went to the Accident & Emergency of the hospital.

@srg22, waiting is the toughest part. Have you had a Ca19-9 test in the meantime? How are you doing?

Waiting for appt..

So sorry to read you have begun on your journey . Although it feels very slow at the time, as I look back on my husbands diagnosis process things happened in a whirlwind at the time, at the same time it felt so slow just wanting the clear diagnosis and path forward. On another note the C19 test referred to we were just recently told by the Oncologist that is not always reliable. Since his was 2 to begin with and remains at a 2 post surgery she said "for him" we cannot rely on that as a marker , as with some others . It may never change (although i wish we could take that number and say it was all a nasty mistake.
Good luck to you @stpatrick1949 on your journey.