The incidence of pancreatic cancer has been on the rise worldwide in recent years, and the prevalence has tripled in the last 30 years in the United States and the United Kingdom, making it a very deadly disease that kills about 220,000 people worldwide each year. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant tumors and is known as the “king of cancers” in the medical community. Pancreatic cancer often occurs unknowingly, with early manifestations of upper abdominal discomfort, and then progresses very rapidly, with most diagnosed at an advanced stage – often only three to six months from diagnosis to death.” Not only in the United States, but in recent years, the incidence of pancreatic cancer has gradually increased in China, with an increase of about eight times over 30 years in major Chinese cities, and in China it is even more difficult to diagnose early, with a low surgical resection rate and a high recurrence rate after surgery. The pancreas is located in the upper abdomen and is the second largest gland in the body, with two major functions: exocrine and endocrine. The exocrine secretion of the pancreas is pancreatic juice, which secretes about 750-1500ml per day. The main components are pancreatic amylase, pancreatic protease, pancreatic lipase and other digestive enzymes, as well as water and bicarbonate, which are involved in the digestion of three major nutrients: sugar, protein and fat. If some disease causes impaired function of the pancreas and insufficient secretion of pancreatic juice, it will lead to indigestion and loss of appetite. The endocrine secretion of the pancreas is mainly insulin, which is an indispensable substance in the body’s sugar metabolism, and if insulin is not secreted sufficiently, there is a risk of diabetes. In addition, the pancreas also secretes glucagon, growth inhibitory hormone, gastrin, etc. The functions of the pancreas are multifaceted. In fact, there are two types of tumors that occur in the pancreas, the most common of which is pancreatic adenocarcinoma that originates from the ducts of the pancreas, commonly known as “pancreatic cancer”. The other type is the hormone-secreting cells of the pancreas, known as endocrine pancreatic tumors (the type of pancreatic cancer that Steve Jobs was diagnosed with) So why are there so few patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at an early stage? One is because the early clinical manifestations of pancreatic cancer are similar to those of common digestive tract diseases, which are easily ignored by doctors and patients; the other is that unlike other tumors, no sensitive and specific tumor markers can be found for pancreatic cancer so far. In addition, the prevention and examination of pancreatic cancer is not able to directly see the precancerous lesions like common gastroscopy and colonoscopy, which makes early detection more difficult. Early stage pancreatic cancer is significantly more curable than the middle and late stage pancreatic cancer, how to detect it early? I. Symptoms to be alerted Early and middle stage clinical manifestations are similar to common digestive tract diseases and can be easily ignored, but there are some special symptoms that can be detected through careful observation of early pancreatic cancer. The following is a brief description of some of the symptoms that often occur when pancreatic cancer occurs, and you should be alert to the occurrence of pancreatic cancer after these symptoms appear. Abdominal pain: Abdominal pain is the most common symptom of pancreatic cancer, and many patients come to the clinic with abdominal pain, which is generally caused by the following factors: 1. 2. When the tumor compresses the bile duct and pancreatic duct causing high pressure, the patient will have dull pain. It is usually aggravated after meals and relieved after a few hours. The nerve fibers mainly come from the celiac plexus, left and right celiac nerve nodes, and superior mesenteric plexus, and the nociceptive nerve is located in the sympathetic nerve. If the tumor infiltrates and compresses these nerve plexuses, it can cause low back pain, and the degree is severe. Jaundice: Painless jaundice is the most prominent symptom of pancreatic head cancer, accounting for about 30%. As pancreatic cancer has the biological characteristic of peritubular infiltration, jaundice can appear early, but it is not an early symptom. The color of stool becomes lighter as jaundice deepens and finally becomes clay-colored, and the color of urine becomes more and more yellow. Many patients may have pruritic skin due to obstructive jaundice. Gastrointestinal symptoms: 60% of pancreatic cancer has gastrointestinal digestive symptoms in early stage, most patients have symptoms such as loss of appetite, aversion to greasy food, nausea, vomiting and indigestion. Wasting and weakness: due to reduced food intake, indigestion and tumor depletion. Fever: Most patients have different degrees of fever during the disease, and intermittent low fever often goes unnoticed. Chills and high fever may occur in the case of biliary tract infection. Thrombophlebitis: It is a special manifestation of pancreatic cancer, about 15% to 25% of patients have thrombophlebitis during the disease, most commonly in the lower limbs. As there is no specific preventive measure for pancreatic cancer, it is recommended to have an annual abdominal ultrasound for people over 40 years of age who are at high risk. At present, there is no specific preventive measure for pancreatic cancer, but only prevention against possible causes and risk factors, while paying attention to improving the health quality of the body. To avoid or reduce the occurrence of pancreatic cancer, we should quit drinking and smoking, advocate a low-fat, low-protein, high-fiber and high-vitamin diet, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and at the same time, live a regular life, pay attention to the combination of work and rest, and strengthen physical exercise to improve the resistance of the body. It is recommended that people over 40 years old with high risk (smoking, family history, chronic pancreatitis, etc.) should have an abdominal ultrasound examination once a year for early detection and diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and go to regular hospitals for standardized and individualized treatment.