Overview
- Health officials urge people born before 1966 to look for yellowing of the eyes or skin as a possible early sign of pancreatic cancer.
- The NHS advises anyone with jaundice or ongoing vomiting or diarrhoea to contact a GP or NHS 111 immediately for assessment.
- Doctors say early symptoms are often vague, which leads to late diagnoses and keeps five-year survival below 10% in the UK.
- About 10,500 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in Britain, and more than half of cases occur in those aged 75 and over.
- Other warning signs include loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, tiredness, fever, digestive problems, and pain in the upper abdomen or back, with jaundice often easiest to spot in the whites of the eyes.