The most common symptom is pain in the upper abdomen, indicating celiac lymph node involvement (in more than 90 percent of cases). There may also be loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, constipation (50 percent of patients), weight loss (early feeling of fullness is usual in 50 percent of cases), diarrhea, bloating, belching and hiccups. Other symptoms include itching skin, swollen legs, sleeping problems and fatigue.
Other symptoms vary according to the location of the cancer:
• Progressive jaundice , often painless (66 percent), can be a sign of cancer in the head of the
pancreas.
• Itching (pruritis) due to bile duct obstruction.
• Diarrhea and swollen legs or mild diabetes may also develop.
There are few symptoms of cancer in the tail of the pancreas until the tumor is a large, often baseball-sized, mass.
