Signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Last medical review:

Pancreatic cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms in its early stages. Signs and symptoms often appear as the tumour grows and causes changes in the body, such as changes in blood sugar levels or weight loss. Other health conditions can cause the same signs and symptoms as pancreatic cancer.

The signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

  • indigestion or difficulty digesting certain foods
  • abdominal or back pain below your ribs that may worsen after eating
  • jaundice
  • stool that is large, pale or light-coloured, smells very foul and floats in the toilet
  • urine that is dark yellow or brown
  • itching (often all over the body)
  • nausea and vomiting
  • loss of appetite
  • weight loss
  • bloating
  • fatigue
  • being very thirsty and urinating (peeing) often (called diabetes insipidus)
  • fever
  • a lump on the right side of the abdomen below the ribs

Expert review and references

  • American Cancer Society. Signs and Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer. 2024. https://www.cancer.org/.
  • Cancer Research UK. Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer. 2023. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/.
  • Martini FH, Tallitsch RB. Nath JL. Human Anatomy. 9th ed. New York, NY: Pearson; 2018.
  • Winter JM, Brody JR, Abrams RA, Posey JA, Yeo CJ. Cancer of the pancreas. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg S. eds. DeVita Hellman and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2023: Kindle version, chapter 55, https://read.amazon.ca/?asin=B0BG3DPT4Q&language=en-CA.

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