Symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Main symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer may not have any symptoms, or they might be hard to spot.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer can include:

Other symptoms can affect your digestion, such as:

Information:

If you have another condition like irritable bowel syndrome, you may get symptoms like these regularly.

You might find you get used to them. But it's important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse or do not feel normal for you.

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

  • the whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow
  • you're being sick for more than 2 days
  • you have diarrhoea for more than 7 days
  • you have symptoms that you're worried about, but are not sure where to get help

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

  • you've lost a noticeable amount of weight
  • you have other symptoms of pancreatic cancer that get worse or do not get better after 2 weeks
  • you have a condition that causes symptoms with your digestion that are not getting better after 2 weeks of using your usual treatments

Important

Some of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions.

Having the symptoms does not definitely mean you have pancreatic cancer, but it's important to get checked by a GP.

If your symptoms are caused by cancer, finding it early may mean it's easier to treat.

What happens at the GP appointment

The GP may feel your tummy.

They may ask you to give a pee sample or have a blood test.

The GP may refer you to see a specialist in hospital for more tests if they think you have a condition that needs to be investigated.

This may be an urgent referral, usually within 2 weeks, if you have certain symptoms. This does not definitely mean you have cancer.

Page last reviewed: 9 June 2023
Next review due: 9 June 2026