Period Change Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

Pancreatic cancer is a very aggressive form of cancer with an incredibly high mortality rate. It is most common in the elderly and almost unheard of in the under 40s. There are many symptoms to pancreatic cancer, particularly in the more advances stages. However, since the symptoms in the earlier stages can easily be confused with other illnesses, it is often detected very late. But, even if detected early, the mortality rate for pancreatic cancer is still around 80%.

What is Period Change?

A period change occurs when a woman’s menstrual cycle is disrupted. This can be a change in severity of bleeding, but also a change in the frequency. Period change can also mean menstruation stops all together. Generally, there will be an underlying cause to period change, such as anorexia, lupus, cystic ovaries or hormonal changes.

How does Period Change relate to Pancreatic Cancer?

One of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer is a loss of appetite, which sometimes leads to anorexia – whereby the patient ceases to eat all together. Anorexia often leads to period change, particularly a complete stop of the menstrual cycle.

As pancreatic cancer is uncommon in younger people, most women who have pancreatic cancer will have already gone through the change and will hence not notice any issues with their periods. However, if pancreatic cancer does occur in a younger person and they notice a change in their periods, it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

What are the Period Change Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms?

Period change pancreatic cancer symptoms are almost always caused by anorexia. This can be recognised by:

Loss of appetite
Ceasing to eat all together
Sudden extreme weight loss
Extreme fatigue
Lethargy

Further Information about Period Change Pancreatic Cancer Symptoms

If you are a woman who has not yet gone through the change and notice period change pancreatic cancer symptoms, it is important to speak to your GP as soon as possible. If you have had chemotherapy or radiotherapy, it is possible that your period change is due to those treatments. However, as period change pancreatic cancer symptoms are usually related to anorexia, you are likely to need the advice of a qualified dietician to ensure you are receiving the right balance of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and proteins in your diet. If there is a complete loss of appetite and you find yourself unable to eat, hospitalisation may be necessary to ensure you are able to receive essential nutrients through a drip.

Period change pancreatic cancer symptoms are very rare, but this is only due to the fact that pancreatic cancer occurs mainly in the elderly, particularly the over 60s. These women generally no longer menstruate so cannot use period change as an indication of other issues relating to pancreatic cancer. However, in the rare occasions that it does occur in younger people, it is a sure indicator that something in your body is not functioning correctly and it is incredibly important to seek medical advice as soon as feasibly possible.