When blood tests showed "clean"... suddenly diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer, 50s male, what are the symptoms?

A story has been revealed about a healthy man in his 50s in the UK who experienced lower abdominal pain and was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.

According to the UK foreign news outlet Daily Mail, former marathon runner Lee Rollinson (51) has been experiencing persistent lower abdominal pain since January of this year. He visited the hospital for blood and urine tests, but was told there was nothing wrong with his body. He believed it was a temporary physical response to stress and took painkillers. However, by September, the pain worsened significantly, and while helping his son with soccer training, he collapsed from severe pain and was rushed to the emergency room at Southend University Hospital.

After a CT scan (computed tomography), he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer on October 31. His primary doctor said that the cancer had metastasized to the liver, making surgery impossible, and that he had only a few months left to live. The medical team identified genetic factors as the cause of his pancreatic cancer. His grandfather had a history of pancreatic cancer, and Rollinson had been suffering from diabetes for ten years, which is one of the risk factors for pancreatic cancer.

Rollinson said, "I'm not afraid of death, but I'm afraid of leaving my wife and children behind," and "It's hard not to be able to be there for my family when they're in trouble, not being able to comfort them when tears flow, and not being able to watch my children grow." He mentioned that this Christmas might be his last, and he is trying to spend more time with his family. He is currently preparing for a trip to Lapland, Finland with his family.

Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that is difficult to detect through routine examinations such as blood tests or urine tests. Since the pancreas is located deep inside the abdomen, even if there is an abnormality, it is rarely palpable or causes noticeable symptoms in the early stages. Symptoms usually appear only after the disease has progressed to some extent. When symptoms do appear, most patients experience weight loss, abdominal pain, etc., and by the time pain occurs, it often indicates that the cancer has already infiltrated around the pancreas, leading to a poor prognosis.

If pancreatic cancer is suspected, tests such as ultrasound, abdominal CT, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), positron emission tomography (PET), serum tumor marker tests, laparoscopy, and biopsy are performed.

Currently, surgery is the only treatment that can cure pancreatic cancer. When surgery is not possible or adjuvant therapy is needed after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are administered. The treatment method is selected from surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, considering factors such as tumor size and location, stage, patient's age, and health condition.

<Source: Health Chosun>