This booklet for patients and carers describes pancreatic cancer, its causes and symptoms. It gives detailed information on the diagnostic tests used and the stages of pancreatic cancer. It includes a section on what to ask your doctor, where to go for further information and a glossary to explain many of the terms used.
This booklet covers the different procedures used to control pancreatic cancer symptoms with practical information about your hospital visit and returning home. Includes a section about second opinions, clinical trials and questions to ask your doctor and a glossary to explain some of the terms used.
Jaundice is common in people with pancreatic cancer. It develops when the bile duct becomes blocked by the tumour and yellow pigment (bilirubin) builds up in the body that is normally excreted (passed).
We are currently reviewing this page. If you have any questions please contact healthinfo@panact.org
Jaundice may be painless, but it can be very itchy and irritating. It can also make the skin feel hot and uncomfortable; this is called pruritis. Jaundice can also cause nausea and vomiting as well as digestive problems and tiredness.
How do I know I have this?
The most obvious sign is yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes; jaundice may also cause your urine to be dark yellow and/or itching of the skin.
You should seek urgent medical advice if you are worried that you have the signs of jaundice.
You will need to be referred for tests to identify the cause. NICE guidelines suggest that anyone with jaundice should be investigated further.
There are many ways of treating jaundice and your medical team will help you decide which is the right one for you. One option is to be fitted with a stent to remove the blockage and keep the bile duct open. Another option is a surgical procedure called a pancreatic biliary bypass. The surgeon will bypass the blockage and allow bile to flow from your stomach to the small intestine which should solve the jaundice.
The symptoms of jaundice can be eased using medications if these surgical approaches are not appropriate to help drain your bile duct. Antihistamines and skin care are also important to relieve the itching. Keeping skin cool and using moisturising creams to stop it drying out can help relieve the symptoms.
The information provided in this site, or through links to other websites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care and should not be relied upon as such. Read our disclaimer.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.