There are nine vital signs people need to look out for with a new "silent killer", scientists have warned. Pancreatic cancer has sometimes been given the name because of how difficult some of the disease's early symptoms can be to spot. However, there are several things you can look out for to avoid a late scare and try and get on top of the condition, experts have said.
Queen's University Belfast nursing studies student Glenn McDowell has created an interactive game for people to play which will help them recognise the signs and offer advice on what to do as well as generally improving knowledge around the condition. He explained: "Pancreatic cancer is a cancer in which healthy cells in the pancreas stop working correctly and grow out of control. These cancerous cells can build up and form a tumour.
A cancerous tumour is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body." Pancreatic cancer is the 10th most common cancer in the UK and affects more than 10,000 people every year. Because symptoms are so hard to spot early on, the disease is usually in an advanced stage when people are diagnosed - often meaning the survival rate is quite low, Royal College of Nursing reports .
Nine symptoms people should be aware of to try and catch an early diagnosis are - abdominal and back pain, unexplained weight loss, indigestion and loss of appetite, changes in bowel habits, jaundice, nausea and vomiting, difficulty swallowing, recently diagnosed diabetes and psychological distress. People with the condition often suffer from severe symptoms at the end of their life and have a poor quality of life. Mr McDowell added: "Early diagnosis saves lives.
With reduced treatment options when diagnosis happens at a later stage, early diagnosis is the only way to improve chances of survival. The current five-year survival rate is only 7 percent. "Pancreatic cancer is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because early signs and symptoms can be vague and difficult to recognise, so raising public awareness is vital.
Earlier detection and diagnosis can help to identify patients who are candidates for surgical resection, which still represents the best chance of cure." Speaking about the game he helped create, the nursing student added: " The serious game was developed between my university, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), plus Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer Charity (NIPANC) and Focus Games, to increase public knowledge of the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer and empower people to raise their concerns with a medical professional sooner. "It provides practical help to the public.
Health care professionals, people with lived experience of pancreatic cancer or whose family members have had pancreatic cancer, academics, researchers and nursing students such as myself all worked together on the design and content.".
