The pancreas is an abdominal organ located behind the lower part of the stomach that secretes enzymes that help with digestion and hormones that regulate sugar metabolism. Cancer of the pancreas, or pancreatic cancer, tends to present in the late stages, spreads rapidly and has a poor prognosis, according to the Mayo Clinic. Signs and symptoms frequently occur when the cancer is at a stage where physicians can no longer remove it.
Jaundice
The last stages of pancreatic cancer frequently include jaundice. Jaundice refers to a yellowing of the skin that occurs in people experiencing liver failure. During its last stages, pancreatic cancer causes liver failure by pushing on the liver and blocking off the ducts that empty bile from the liver, according to the "Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine."
Loss of Appetite
In its last stages, pancreatic cancer destroys the healthy cells of the pancreas that normally produce enzymes that help the stomach break down food. According to the Cleveland Clinic, people with late-stage pancreatic cancer develop loss of appetite because of difficulty with food digestion. In addition, when the tumor becomes large it pushes on the stomach, and the stomach can no longer contain as much food as it could before.
Weight Loss
According to the Cleveland Clinic, weight loss is one of the last stages of advanced pancreatic cancer. Most late-stage cancers cause weight loss through a process called tissue wasting, which is caused by tumor-released hormones, and a shunting of blood and nutrients to the tumor tissue. With pancreatic cancer, the weight loss is also due to decreased appetite and poor nutrient absorption, and can be quite rapid.
Weakness
The last stages of pancreatic cancer are characterized by severe weakness. According to the "Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine," people with late-stage pancreatic cancer are extremely weak due to malnutrition, muscle wasting, abdominal pain and liver failure.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Pancreatic Cancer
- "Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine"; Marc Sabatine; 2004
- Cleveland Clinic: Cancer of the Pancreas
