Pancreas Cancer Scare

My wife is a very healthy 45 year old.

After noticing come dark urine and having some back pain of the right side and some cramping, she went in to the doctor. They ran blood work and it all came back fine, specifically to this post, they did not find heightened bilireim (sp). No yellow skin, eyes or other signs of jaundice except the urine.

They found what they termed "common, classic" ovarian cysts, that they thought where the cause of the cramping and perhaps the back pain.

Then it got scary. They did an ultra sound in which there was a "possible, questionable, minor" enlargement of the head of the pancreas. No inflammation, mass, cysts, lesion, or bile blockage noted. Cat scan has been ordered.

So, scary parts that are pancreatic cancer symptoms or factors:

--- dark urine sign of jaundice

-- poss symptomatic back pain

-- possible enlarged head of pancreas

-- terrible history of colon cancer in her family, which I understand can be a genetic cousin to pancreatic genetic proclivity

-- one episode of vomiting a few weeks back

Signs that are encouraging:

-- pain was not in the center of abdomen and back

-- no yellowing or signs of jaundice besides dark urine

-- no bilirem (sp) in blood test

-- no tumor/mass noted in ultra sound

-- no ultrasound signs of any other abnormalities in kidney or liver

-- no weight loss or loss of appetite.

-- one recent vomiting episode, but it was just once and may have been flu

-- no itching
=========================================

So....we are freaking out until we get the cat scan. How freaked out should we be? It seems that there are only a few symptoms of pancreatic cancer, and she has at least a suspicion of most or all of them -- enlarge of the head of the pancreas, back pain, sign of jaundice...

help

PS: one question- is dark urine an early/precursor of jaundice, or a later symptom?

[Enoch Choi, MD]

No use to freak out.  Many minor radiographic changes can be benign and it's not worth being concerned about the very unlikely occurance of pancreatic cancer, unless your doctor tells you they see concerning signs of that on CT scan.

Dark urine is a result of unconjugated bilirubin which causes jaundice.  it goes to skin & urine

[cudagirl]

It is only normal to feel a bit scared, who wouldn't be.  Just remember many things can cause this.  I too went through the same thing last year.  I had the same symptoms, and my CT scan showed a huge mass, (golf ball size) on the tail of my pancreas.  I had weight loss, vomiting, nausea, you name it.  After many biopsys, (all negative), and many dr.s telling me that it could be cancer, it turned out to be Autoimmune Pancreatitis.  It looks very simular to cancer, but is extremly rare.  Just remember not to think the worst until they are 100 percent sure.  A lot of things can be benign.  My husband was upset, and worried.  I am only 42.  Good Luck and keep you spirits up!

[albert1975]

i would recommend some natural health products that may help..with that situation if that was the case...   get some cellfood for the cells.. and it gives oxygen around the body.... cellfood is number one leading oxygen product and i hear cancer cant live in a highly oxygenated and alkaline body...  u need info i got it ... thanks

[smaug]

Thank you for your replies.

The part that freaked me out is the dark urine, because after I'd heard the rest of the symptom stuff, I went online and looked for pancreatic symptoms, that was one, I asked her about it, and she said yes!! I almost puked.

The doctor says no other signs of jaundice in her blood tests, but I'm wondering if the dark urine is a jaundice pre-cursor? Something that would show up before the blood and the yellowing of skin/eyes?

Anyway, we will be all over to get the cat scan scheduled ASAP Monday at 9am.

Any other tests I should push for? We have ultra-sound, CATscan, bilirum(sp) in blood....any other pancreatic cancer tests? Obviously, early is better, although the numbers would tell you it is grim either way.

Thanks for the replies, I'll post when I have news.  

[cudagirl]

If your test come back suspicious(sp?) maybe you should ask your DR to do a cancer marker test...CA19-9.  It will show up in your blood if the cancer is big enough to start shedding cells.  It wouldn't hurt to talk with him about it.  Oh and one more thing....Dark urine can be caused from several things including gallstones or kidney infections.

Good luck, lets us know how it turns out.