9. Unintentional Weight Loss
You’re not trying to lose weight, yet your clothes keep getting looser.
When the pancreas can’t release enough digestive enzymes, your body literally starves even when you eat normally. The National Cancer Institute lists unexplained weight loss as one of the top early warning signs.
8. Nausea or Vomiting (Especially After Fatty Meals)
Greasy foods suddenly make you queasy. Or you feel sick for no clear reason.
A tumor can partially block the digestive tract or slow stomach emptying.
Many people treat it with antacids for months before realizing something bigger is wrong.
7. Greasy, Pale, or Floating Stools (The One Everyone Ignores)
This is the symptom people hate discussing — but it’s incredibly telling.
If your stool looks pale, bulky, floats, and leaves an oily ring, it means fat isn’t being digested properly. Doctors call this steatorrhea.
Research published in Gastroenterology found this change can appear up to a year before diagnosis.
6. Yellowing of the Skin or Eyes (Jaundice)
One of the most visible signs — but it usually shows up later.
When a tumor blocks the bile duct, bilirubin builds up and turns your skin and eyes yellow.
You might first notice it in the whites of your eyes under bright light.
5. Intense Itchy Skin Without a Rash
The itching can be unbearable, especially on palms and soles. Lotions don’t help.
It’s caused by bile salts trapped under the skin. Many patients see dermatologists for months before anyone checks the pancreas.
4. New-Onset Diabetes After Age 50
Suddenly developing diabetes — especially if you’re not overweight — can be a red flag.
Pancreatic tumors can destroy insulin-producing cells. A 2021 study in JAMA Oncology found that 25–50% of patients are diagnosed with diabetes in the 36 months before their cancer diagnosis.
