Joe Yates
There are four common symptoms that we've all likely experienced at some point or another that could actually be the first sign of pancreatic cancer.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2025, roughly 67,440 Americans will be diagnosed with this type of cancer - split 34,950 men and 32,490 women - while a further 51,980 are anticipated to die of pancreatic cancer, 27,050 of those being male.
Pancreatic cancer makes up around three per cent of all cancers in the US and around eight per cent of all cancer-related deaths.
One of the earliest clues of pancreatic cancer can actually appear in the legs before any stomach pain or jaundice kicks in.
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According to medical experts, sometimes the first red flag isn’t in the pancreas at all - it’s a blood clot.
Doctors say a blood clot in a large vein, usually in the leg, can be a warning sign of something much more serious going on inside the body.
This condition, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), can happen for a number of reasons, but in some cases, it’s linked to pancreatic cancer.
There are four symptoms related to DVT - these are, pain, swelling, redness and warmth in the affected leg.
While these might sound like fairly common symptoms, they can sometimes be the body’s way of signalling that a tumour is quietly growing.
Worryingly, clots can also break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism (PE), which can make it difficult to breathe and can be life-threatening.
Pancreatic cancer is particularly dangerous because it often doesn’t show obvious symptoms in its early stages, meaning that by the time many people notice something is wrong, the cancer has already grown or spread.
Other early warning signs can be more subtle, such as persistent fatigue or weakness that isn’t linked to exercise, or jaundice - where the skin and eyes turn yellow due to a buildup of bilirubin.
Some people also notice darker urine, pale or greasy stools, and itchy skin.
Unexplained weight loss and a loss of appetite are also common, and abdominal or back pain can appear as the tumour grows. If it presses on nearby organs or nerves, it can lead to persistent discomfort that doesn’t go away easily.
Experts say pancreatic cancer can also affect the liver and gallbladder, sometimes causing these organs to enlarge - and in some cases, it may also trigger diabetes by damaging the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin.
But while many of these symptoms can be caused by other, far less serious conditions, health professionals urge people not to brush them off - especially if blood clot symptoms appear with no clear cause.