What are the precursors of pancreatic cancer?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on April 15, 2025
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Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the digestive system clinically. Due to the hidden location of the pancreas, early symptoms of pancreatic cancer are generally not obvious. When individuals with a family history of pancreatic cancer exhibit unexplained fatigue or abdominal discomfort, or rapidly progressive jaundice symptoms in a short period, and if patients also have diseases such as diabetes, the possibility of pancreatic cancer should be considered. An abdominal CT scan, MRI, and other radiological examinations should be completed quickly. For identified pancreatic space-occupying lesions, early biopsy through puncture or direct exploratory laparotomy should be performed as soon as possible for treatment.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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What should I do if I can't stop vomiting due to pancreatic cancer?

Firstly, we need to ascertain the cause of the vomiting and can provide gastric protection and antiemetic treatment accordingly. If the vomiting is due to biliary obstruction caused by pancreatic cancer, resulting in severe jaundice and intense vomiting, in such cases, we can also place a stent surgically to drain the bile. The jaundice might be relieved afterwards, and accordingly, the vomiting symptoms might also be alleviated. Another aspect is, if the vomiting is caused by the tumor itself due to pancreatic cancer, we need to employ chemotherapy or some targeted or antiangiogenic treatments to control the tumor itself, and only then might the symptoms of vomiting be relieved.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Is pancreatic cancer contagious?

Pancreatic cancer, like other malignant tumors, is not contagious. Therefore, in clinical settings, including patients' families and accompanying healthcare staff often ask doctors if they might catch the disease while interacting with cancer patients. It is important to educate that malignant tumors, including pancreatic cancer, are not contagious. Contagious diseases refer to chronic conditions like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, AIDS, etc., which can spread through contact with bodily fluids or blood of the affected individuals. However, malignant tumors are not infectious.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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Can pancreatic cancer be detected by a CT scan?

Pancreatic cancer can be detected by CT, which shows both direct and indirect signs. The direct signs of pancreatic cancer are manifested as pancreatic masses, which are mostly lobulated. On plain scans, the tumor appears isodense or slightly hypodense compared to the pancreatic parenchyma. When the tumor is large, it appears as a local protrusion, mostly located within the pancreas. In the early phase after enhancement, the tumor enhances less than the surrounding normal pancreatic tissue because pancreatic cancer is a hypovascular tumor. Indirect signs are mainly secondary changes caused by pancreatic cancer, mainly affecting the common bile duct and the main pancreatic duct, which can lead to pancreatic duct dilation, characterized by the typical double duct sign.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Late-stage symptoms of pancreatic cancer

Late symptoms of pancreatic cancer include abdominal pain, or sore and swollen back pain, as well as nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, indigestion, and discomfort of upper abdominal fullness. These are some symptoms affecting the digestive tract. Additionally, there is jaundice caused by tumor compression of the bile duct, as well as skin itching, and even fever. Some patients show clinical manifestations such as ascites when there is metastasis to the liver, or abdominal or retroperitoneal lymph nodes.

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Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
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Is a pancreatic tumor the same as pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic tumors include benign and malignant tumors of the pancreas. Common benign pancreatic tumors include insulinomas, which can cause hypoglycemia due to excessive insulin secretion. Other benign tumors of the pancreas include adenomas, lipomas, and fibromas, which are relatively rare clinically. Malignant tumors of the pancreas are commonly referred to as pancreatic cancer, which has a high degree of malignancy. Early-stage pancreatic cancer patients are primarily treated with surgery.