3. Unexplained Weight Loss
Losing a significant amount of weight without any intentional changes to diet or exercise is a major red flag for pancreatic cancer. This is not just a minor fluctuation on the scales but a noticeable and unintentional drop, often defined as losing more than 5% of one’s normal body weight over a period of six months or less. This weight loss occurs for a combination of reasons. Firstly, the cancer cells have a high metabolic rate and consume a great deal of the body’s energy. Secondly, the tumor can interfere with the pancreas’s primary function of producing digestive enzymes, leading to malabsorption, where the body cannot properly absorb nutrients, especially fats, from food. This is often part of a broader syndrome called cancer cachexia, a complex wasting condition where the body breaks down muscle tissue and fat, leading to weakness and contributing to the overall decline in health.