View Full Version : Fear for pancreatic cancer
Hello all. I am a fifty one year old man and I had many episodes with HA in my life.
Right now i have pain in lower left back and very low left abdominal pain. kind of si joint pain but feels like radiating . I also have pain in the mid back and left mid to higher abdomen and I fear for pancreatic cancer or cancer / tumors spread into he abdominal wall or lining.
Now I had bloodwork done. abdominal/pelvic ct scan done and a colonoscopy.
I am very worried that they may have overlooked something with the ct scan.
Do the detect a tumor in the pancreas? And do they see tumors in the abdominal wall or lining?
I try to stay possitive but since the pain is always there it is very hard.
Maybe somebody has experience with this.
Thank you.
PASchoolSyndrome
12-03-17, 15:48
If there were something there it would have come up on one of the many tests you had. Do your best to stay positive and get through this.
thank you, the pain is so real. and it effects my daily functioning. just very scared that there might be tumor (s) in the lining of the abdomen. Ct should pick up a tumor in the pancreas.
PASchoolSyndrome
12-03-17, 17:23
I'm sure the pain is real and the doctor's are going to do their best in finding the cause or helping you with it. They ruled out the really bad stuff, they would have seen it if it were there. Best of luck!
Just wondering what the pain can be? Can muscles cause deep pain both at the same time in the mid back and left mid to high abdomen? Just trying to find some kind of explanation.
PASchoolSyndrome
12-03-17, 19:24
Muscle strains can cause a variety of pain and can last an unbelievable amount of time. After all of those tests what did your doctors say? Hopefully they're able to figure out the cause but it seemed to me they can tell you what's NOT causing it so hopefully you can rest a little easier mentally about that!
My fam doctor doesn't really know. I had ct in the ER and they found fatty liver(severe) and a small 1/2 inch lipoma by the small bowel.
colonoscopy completely normal and no bowel problems
maybe nerves in de skin or muscles?
Well... it seems like they're still in investigative mode but at 51 (I'm 58), there are all sorts of aches and pains that we didn't have when we were younger. The tests would have picked up on something I assure you. Keep positive, it probably is just one of those "getting older" things ;)
Positive thoughts
brandybuck
12-03-17, 20:31
Hey Wim. Went through that whole ordeal myself (eerily similar symptoms, including back and joint pain), along with other GI issues that have yet to disappear completely even after nearly 4 months. I managed to convince myself I had pancreatic cancer as well because, you know, Google. And, like you, I've done multiple blood tests, as well as an abdominal CT and 2 ultrasounds that showed nothing unusual going on. Wish I could provide some insight into what may cause it but I really don't know. Some GI issues(chronic gastritis, hiatal hernia) were found when I got an endoscopy but they don't really explain the weird pains I've been getting. So I guess the only thing to do is stay positive and trust the docs. :)
---------- Post added at 20:31 ---------- Previous post was at 20:28 ----------
Also, I try to tell myself that a tumor big enough to cause that kind of pain wouldn't be easily missed.
Hi BrandyBuck,
Just the thinking is killing me. And indeed, google is not good for us. I had HA before but I keep fighting the pains and think its something serious. I am also obese i am 6.2 and 280 lbs. I have to lose weight but that is hard. also borderline diabetic
busterrufus
12-03-17, 21:13
How long have you had the pain Wim?
paranoid-viking
12-03-17, 21:57
You are obviously going throug the same fear as me. I bet this is one of the top ten diseases that us hypocondriacs fear more than anything in the world. BTW; you hav had CT scans which is more tham my doc allowed me to have and I think the chanses of missing a tumour on the pancreas on a CT is close to zero even though you probably have read horryfying horror stories about that somewhere out on the net; like on these scaremongering activist sites that purposely are picking out the most unlikely nightmare stories from some patients. Some of these "awareness campaigns" should be censored due to their nature.
Remember that there are hundreds of conditions ascociated with pain around the ribs; conditions much more likely than pancreatic cancer.
---------- Post added at 22:37 ---------- Previous post was at 22:31 ----------
My fam doctor doesn't really know. I had ct in the ER and they found fatty liver(severe) and a small 1/2 inch lipoma by the small bowel.
colonoscopy completely normal and no bowel problems
maybe nerves in de skin or muscles?
Hmmm....severe fatty liver? Excuse me if I am a bit direct, but do you drink a lot of alchol? Fatty liver is usually caused by either:
1)alcoholism
2)obesity
3)both
Someone I know had fatty liver detected but did a readical life style change because of that and is now wey healthy, more than ever. Fatty liver means that you dont live right; but the good thing is that it is reversable; that if you eliminate the cause the liver will return to normal but it requires self dicipline and self effort.
---------- Post added at 22:57 ---------- Previous post was at 22:37 ----------
Hey Wim. Went through that whole ordeal myself (eerily similar symptoms, including back and joint pain), along with other GI issues that have yet to disappear completely even after nearly 4 months. I managed to convince myself I had pancreatic cancer as well because, you know, Google. And, like you, I've done multiple blood tests, as well as an abdominal CT and 2 ultrasounds that showed nothing unusual going on. Wish I could provide some insight into what may cause it but I really don't know. Some GI issues(chronic gastritis, hiatal hernia) were found when I got an endoscopy but they don't really explain the weird pains I've been getting. So I guess the only thing to do is stay positive and trust the docs. :)
---------- Post added at 20:31 ---------- Previous post was at 20:28 ----------
Also, I try to tell myself that a tumor big enough to cause that kind of pain wouldn't be easily missed.
I think I may have gastritis but I am extremely scared of having endoscopy because it is the most painful mediacal test there is. I had it in 2006 and I remember to this day how horrible it was. I said to myself "never again". But then again; taking it may give me relief; it is a hard decision.
How long have you had the pain Wim?
For about 3 weeks.
paranoid-viking
12-03-17, 22:01
Hi BrandyBuck,
Just the thinking is killing me. And indeed, google is not good for us. I had HA before but I keep fighting the pains and think its something serious. I am also obese i am 6.2 and 280 lbs. I have to lose weight but that is hard. also borderline diabetic
Excuse my igorance, but what excactly is a borderline diabetic?
---------- Post added at 23:01 ---------- Previous post was at 22:58 ----------
For about 3 weeks.
I have had similar pain coming and going for well; about 6 months. Could be IBS since it comes and goes; that is what many says it is.
I do empathise and I am going thorugh the same fear as you do for the most horrible of cancers. I think blocking it out of the system; not reading about it and not thinking about it is the best thing but it is not easy. I am going thorugh therapy now because of that fear. For me the fear of PC is disabling.
busterrufus
12-03-17, 22:02
Wim, it's probably impossible for someone on this forum to accurately tell you what an abd/pelvic ct will detect unless they are a radiographer or doctor. In my own experience I,ve found Drs will say stuff like "essentially normal" or "nothing significant detected" which sounds ok when they say it, but when I,m home and wondering why I,ve still got the pain I wonder what those terms mean exactly, and what diseases the scan actually rules out, if any. I don't know if sometimes they think we know more about the capability and suitability of scans than we actually do. Anxiety fuels doubts, unfortunately,as does persistent unexplained pain. Hope yours is resolved soon.
paranoid-viking
12-03-17, 22:06
Wim, it's probably impossible for someone on this forum to accurately tell you what an abd/pelvic ct will detect unless they are a radiographer or doctor. In my own experience I,ve found Drs will say stuff like "essentially normal" or "nothing significant detected" which sounds ok when they say it, but when I,m home and wondering why I,ve still got the pain I wonder what those terms mean exactly, and what diseases the scan actually rules out, if any. I don't know if sometimes they think we know more about the capability and suitability of scans than we actually do. Anxiety fuels doubts, unfortunately,as does persistent unexplained pain. Hope yours is resolved soon.
A CT scan would almost always pick up a cancerous tumour. There are nightmare stories out on the net about CT scans missing tumours but I have not heard about anyone in real life and I know people who had cancer. Remember that the tabloid media loves to write about mistakes done by the medical worlds and the same goes for some dodgy "awareness" crusraders who dont trust the health system.
I know i drink too much and that i radically have to change that.
the pain i feel is like nerve pain, specially in my abdomen. i can almost pinpoint the spots in my abdomen. this worries me that it are metastases in the abdominal wall. Should that be possible? shouldn't they see that on the ct??
paranoid-viking
12-03-17, 22:23
I know i drink too much and that i radically have to change that.
the pain i feel is like nerve pain, specially in my abdomen. i can almost pinpoint the spots in my abdomen. this worries me that it are metastases in the abdominal wall. Should that be possible? shouldn't they see that on the ct??
OK, you drink too much you say. That is why you have a fatty liver so the answer is simple - stop. And heavy alcohol abuse is alsom affecting the nerve system. If you find it difficult you should seek profesional help about the drinking and you should not be asheamed of it. But that is what you should focus on - not pancreatic cancer which every test results says you have not.
But your body is telling tyou to stop drinking so you should. Not easy of course but it is always ways to seek help for it. I know someone who went through that and it worked. I wish you the best of luck.
I think that may be the cause of your pain - so it was for someone I know who stopped drinking after having detected fatty liver. Not that the fatty liver caused the pain, cause it normally dont do that, but too much alcohol is causing disturbance in the body and so does obesity. The person I meantion does no longer feel those pain though.
busterrufus
12-03-17, 22:34
I,m not referring to internet scare stories, more to Drs not realising that patients don,t always have the knowledge of the capability or suitability of particular scans, p.v. I personally don't know exactly what can be seen on a ct scan, but a Dr would, and should be able to tell wim.
Wim, why don't you go back to Dr and ask whether what you are worried about would have been likely to show on the scan?
I know i drink too much and that i radically have to change that.
Just the thinking is killing me. And indeed, google is not good for us. I had HA before but I keep fighting the pains and think its something serious. I am also obese i am 6.2 and 280 lbs. I have to lose weight but that is hard. also borderline diabetic
Ahhh... the picture becomes clearer ;) 51, borderline diabetic, overweight, drink too much...
This is pretty straightforward and totally up to you. Do the things you know you should do and in turn deal with the reasons why you're engaging in a self destructive path. Or, continue on the same path and eventually develop real physical issues.
Positive thoughts
brandybuck
12-03-17, 23:30
I think I may have gastritis but I am extremely scared of having endoscopy because it is the most painful mediacal test there is. I had it in 2006 and I remember to this day how horrible it was. I said to myself "never again". But then again; taking it may give me relief; it is a hard decision.
You might check hospitals/clinics that provide anesthesia. It will allow your body to be more relaxed, making it less uncomfortable. You can also opt for general anesthesia, but that makes the whole process more complicated. Anyway, in my case, doing it with sedation was 10 times better than when I first done it.
---------- Post added at 23:30 ---------- Previous post was at 23:17 ----------
Just the thinking is killing me. And indeed, google is not good for us. I had HA before but I keep fighting the pains and think its something serious. I am also obese i am 6.2 and 280 lbs. I have to lose weight but that is hard. also borderline diabetic
I'm still not over the fear myself, and just today some of the pains returned after a while. I also drink more than I should, and it doesn't really help with the GI stuff. Hope you find the motivation to lose weight and work towards a healthier lifestyle. Also, remember that sometimes our body just likes to do really weird sh*t, without something sinister going on. Get well soon and stay off google. :)
Capercrohnj
13-03-17, 12:06
You are obviously going throug the same fear as me. I bet this is one of the top ten diseases that us hypocondriacs fear more than anything in the world. BTW; you hav had CT scans which is more tham my doc allowed me to have and I think the chanses of missing a tumour on the pancreas on a CT is close to zero even though you probably have read horryfying horror stories about that somewhere out on the net; like on these scaremongering activist sites that purposely are picking out the most unlikely nightmare stories from some patients. Some of these "awareness campaigns" should be censored due to their nature.
Remember that there are hundreds of conditions ascociated with pain around the ribs; conditions much more likely than pancreatic cancer.
---------- Post added at 22:37 ---------- Previous post was at 22:31 ----------
Hmmm....severe fatty liver? Excuse me if I am a bit direct, but do you drink a lot of alchol? Fatty liver is usually caused by either:
1)alcoholism
2)obesity
3)both
Someone I know had fatty liver detected but did a readical life style change because of that and is now wey healthy, more than ever. Fatty liver means that you dont live right; but the good thing is that it is reversable; that if you eliminate the cause the liver will return to normal but it requires self dicipline and self effort.
---------- Post added at 22:57 ---------- Previous post was at 22:37 ----------
I think I may have gastritis but I am extremely scared of having endoscopy because it is the most painful mediacal test there is. I had it in 2006 and I remember to this day how horrible it was. I said to myself "never again". But then again; taking it may give me relief; it is a hard decision.
Endoscopies are not the most painful medical test there is. I had one last week and the only slightly bad thing was the taste of the stuff they spray in your mouth!
Here an update. The pain in my upper left abdomen and the radiating back pain has slowly increased and my doctor doesn't really know what the pain is. I also had 2 days diarhea with pain (bad digested food). I saw another doc and she said that the ct will pick up pancreatic cancer. I am still very worried. where is the pain coming from?? It strongly effects my daily functioning. had both Ct scan with contrast and colonoscopy .
I hate this cancer fear
countrygirl
28-03-17, 21:14
Has anyone mentioned severe irritable bowel syndrome to you as a possible reason? This is a diagnosis of exclusion so if all your tests are negative then they can consider this as an explanation. Maybe discuss this with your Dr as IBS can cause severe abdominal and upper abdominal pain at its worst.
Pain in left high abdomen getting worse and so is the radiating backpain. Also sometimes a weird diarhea. backpain is in the mid to high. All the pain is constanly there. It really feels like it comes from an organ (colon stomach area). Had another ultrasound and the pancreas and other organs appeared normal (other then the fatty liver) fam doc said that all tests like ct, bloodwork is normal she ordered a mid back spine x ray but thats about it what she can do. according to her there is no reason to believe that anything sinister is going on. not really worrying about pancreatic cancer anymore since it appeared normal on the tests.(although i have the same pain symptoms) Still very worried because of the ever increasing pain. What more can i do?? I use clonazepam, clomipramine and seroquel for the anxiety but that doesn't work to well. Hard to stay possitive with so much pain. btw painkillers do not work. What can it be???
paranoid-viking
02-04-17, 14:55
Are you exercising? Have you started to do something about your drinking? You should not worry about pancreatic cancer, because you had a CT scan that excluded it. But you SHOULD worry about the confirmed fatty liver which you sad were severe. Fatty liver can be reversed by your own efort but if you are not doing any efort it may gradually develop into something worse and more serious which may not be self-reversable.
I quit drinking completely. and started eating healthy. Trying to stay possitive but it is so hard with the pain getting worse.
paranoid-viking
02-04-17, 15:56
That is very good to hear. Keep up the good work. I know how recuring pain can trigger panic again though and it is hard, very hard. Right now I have a small stomach pain which sends me to the roof.
Its hard to except that the test do not find anything and i am in a lot of pain. my gut tells me that there is something going on. I had HA before, but the pain this time is really bad.
It effects everything I do. I feel pain continually. i wish somebody could explain the pain.
Still pain concentrating in upper left abdomen and radiating pain in the mid back (spine) It feels like the pain comes from inside.
Just had mid spine x ray and that was normal. Still very worried about cancer or a tumor in the upper left abdomen. After all the test i can't control the fear and the pain is only more invasive. Does anybody believe that this can be muscular? It feels that there is an internal issue since the pain is not effected by movement. I am so full of fear.
Anybody experience with upper abdominal and radiating back (spine) pain?
Hi there Wim
It sounds like what you have is a muscular issue I too have been dealing with the same problem as you for the last 3-4 months and i also have a lower right back pain which causes alot of pain in my lower right abdomen. For many years I always thought I had slipped disks in my lower back which my doctor also suspected (never had xrays and what not) but it turned out I had something called an anterior pelvic tilt which causes the pelvis and hips to shift about due to instability caused by certain weak muscles and it can also cause havoc all up the spine and neck due to the back muscles working overtime to compensate for the instability of the lower back which can all be corrected overtime with certain stretches that strengthen the hip flexors glutes and hamstrings now obviously I'm not saying thats what you have but it does sounds very much a muscular issue considering your scans were clear. I would consider seeing chiropractor or physiotherapist they can give you a better understanding if it is a muscular problem.
All the best.
I would also like to add that having a bad posture in general wether its a forward leaning head posture or rolled shoulders put alot of stress on the upper back again the back muscles compensating to hold up the head which apparently I read for every inch the head leans forward it loads around 12lbs of pressure on the neck. I could be wrong on that figure but its around that mark.
brandybuck
06-04-17, 19:25
Some pains got worse in my case after 2 months or so. And my poop has been weird ever since (light brown,yellow,orange, bits on undigested food), just kinda got used to it, and it's been like 5 months so I try to tell myself there's nothing serious going on since the other symptoms got better or went away. You had a lot of tests, Wim. The scans would have picked up any tumor, especially one that would cause these type of symptoms. It can be a muscular problem like others said or other digestive-related problem. Bad digestion can lead gas, thus gas pains and so on. Hope you get to the bottom of what's happening, and I'm sure it's nothing too serious :)
I appreciate your kind comments. :-)
Here an update. I got a gastroscopy and they found multiple small ulcers, inflammation of the lowers esaphogus, mild duodonitis. other then pain i have no gastric symptoms which i find strange.
I got meds for it and have to come back in 2 weeks. in the meantime pain keeps increasing and is always there. Lately i also got pain around both collarbones and armpit region, mainly leftsided. Terrified this are lymphnodes and i am scared to touch the areas.
abdominal and back pain is still constant and bad. Still worried that the ct scan and ultrasound missed something like pancreatic cancer or other tumors.
Anybody has experience with my pains and issues?
Fishmanpa, you as a senior member here, what is your opinion?
Thank you all.
Here an update. I got a gastroscopy and they found multiple small ulcers, inflammation of the lowers esaphogus, mild duodonitis. other then pain i have no gastric symptoms which i find strange.
I got meds for it and have to come back in 2 weeks. in the meantime pain keeps increasing and is always there. Lately i also got pain around both collarbones and armpit region, mainly leftsided. Terrified this are lymphnodes and i am scared to touch the areas.
abdominal and back pain is still constant and bad. Still worried that the ct scan and ultrasound missed something like pancreatic cancer or other tumors.
Anybody has experience with my pains and issues?
Fishmanpa, you as a senior member here, what is your opinion?
Thank you all.
My opinion is that you have a diagnosis. The tests wouldn't have missed anything serious. You've just started treatment for it and it will take a month or so for everything to settle down and the meds to start working.
Watch what you eat, stay away from alcohol totally (really bad for ulcers) take your meds and follow up with your doctor in two weeks :) While it's certainly not a pleasant diagnosis, be thankful it's not sinister and can be treated easily with diet and meds.
Positive thoughts
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