Cancer doctor reveals how to tell if back pain is a sign of ultra-deadly pancreatic cancer – and four other surprising symptoms people MUST know

Back pain that radiates to the stomach and agonising pain in calf muscles are signs of lethal pancreatic cancer that too few are aware of, a top cancer doctor has warned. 

These are just two of six little-known symptoms that hospital medic Dr Priyam Bordoloi has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to flag to his 66,000 followers in a bid to help the public spot the disease early.

‘Pancreatic cancer is notoriously silent,’ he wrote in a thread that’s so far had five million views. 

‘​Because it hides so deep in the body, catching it early is your only real chance.

‘We see patients ignore these exact signs for months until the tumour is completely inoperable. Do not wait.’

The disease is one of the most brutal cancers, killing around three-quarters of those diagnosed within a year. 

And cases are on the rise, with diagnoses in the UK increasing by around a fifth since the 1990s, mostly in women under 55.

In his call to action, Dr Bordoloi, who is an internal medicine specialist at Silchar Medical College hospital in India, has offered intriguing detail of the symptoms to watch out for, which can be so subtle they’re often missed. 

Gnawing mid-back pain could be a sign of a tumour 

Persistent mid‑back pain that feels as though it’s travelled from the front of the body could indicate disease, Dr Bordoloi warned.

The specific type of back pain is a result of the position of the organ, which sits deep in the abdomen, close to the spine. 

As a tumour grows, it can press on nearby nerves, especially those behind the pancreas, causing persistent mid-back pain, the expert explains. 

Dr Bordoloi said: ‘A dull aching pain in the upper belly that radiates straight through to your mid-back could be caused by a tumour at the tail of the pancreas pressing against your nerves.

‘Don’t just assume it’s muscle strain or bad posture.’ 

Back pain is extremely common and is usually caused by poor posture or muscle strain. However, if the pain is persistent and occurs alongside unexplained weight loss, jaundice or sudden-onset diabetes, the NHS recommends contacting a GP. 

Weight loss that’s sudden is a red flag 

While being overweight increases the risk of the deadly disease – with roughly a tenth of cases thought to be caused by obesity – unexplained weight loss can be a sign of cancer, Dr Bordoloi warns. 

This is partly due to the fact that the pancreas produces enzymes that help break down fat, carbohydrates and protein. 

If a tumour is blocking this function, food cannot be properly digested and nutrients cannot be absorbed, resulting in rapid weight loss.

Cancer can also speed up the body’s use of energy – tumours release chemicals that speed up metabolism and cause the body to burn calories faster than usual.

‘Patients may assume that their metabolism is speeding up, finally allowing them to shed the weight. But dropping 5-10kg without changing your diet or exercising is a warning sign,’ he explains. 

‘In reality, cancer could be stealing your body’s energy and completely destroying your appetite.’  

Have you suddenly developed diabetes? 

Type two diabetes can be both a risk factor and a symptom of the disease. 

The pancreas is a pear-shaped gland, about the size of a hand, tucked deep behind the stomach.

Because of its location – and its relatively small size – doctors often can’t feel a pancreatic tumour during a routine physical exam, which is another reason the disease is so difficult to detect early.

The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone needed to move sugar from the blood into cells, where it can be burned as energy.

But tumours in the pancreas can destroy insulin-producing cells, leading to rising blood sugar levels which can appear as new-onset diabetes. 

This is partly why doctors now think that weight loss jabs could help in the fight against the disease. 

Early research suggests the injections could have a protective effect, lowering the risk of disease by around 50 per cent over a five year period. 

The researchers say the drugs may reduce inflammation and improve metabolism and blood sugar control, potentially slowing cancer-related processes. 

Watch out for a sudden, throbbing pain in your leg

Sudden blood clots could also be a symptom of pancreatic cancer. 

‘Patients assume they have just pulled a calf muscle or sat too long on a journey, but a random blood clot is a major red flag,’ Dr Bordoloi warns. 

A blood clot – typically seen in the leg – can cause a throbbing pain in the calf or thigh and is often mistaken for a pulled muscle or a ‘dead leg’ from sitting for too long. 

But it can also be one of the earliest clues that something serious is underlying.

Blood clots are associated with various cancers and occur when tumours release substances that make the blood ‘stickier’, increasing the risk of a clot. 

Pay attention to your bowel movements

Unusual changes in bowel movements can also be a sign of pancreatic cancer.

This can take the form of either constipation or diarrhoea due to the general upset to the digestive process.

But a specific sign can be floating, pale and oily stools – known as steatorrhoea.

‘If your stools are pale, greasy, float in the bowl and smell unusually terrible this could mean your pancreas enzymes are blocked,’ Dr  Bordoloi explains. 

Pancreatic enzymes normally help digest food, and a lack of them leads to problems as undigested food passes quickly through the digestive tract. 

Yellow skin and eyes doesn’t just point to liver disease

Jaundice, the yellowing of the skin and eyes, is one of the most common early symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

It’s caused by the build-up of bilirubin, a yellowish-brown substance in liver bile. 

In normal liver function, bile moves through ducts into the intestine and helps to break down fats.

However, when bile ducts become blocked, bilirubin builds up, turning the skin and eyes yellow. 

In pancreatic cancer, this can occur due to a tumour from the neighbouring pancreas pressing down on the bile duct.

‘Painless jaundice is an absolute medical red flag,’ Dr Bordoloi says.