Symptoms of Pancreatic Islet Cell Cancer
Possible pancreatic islet cell cancer symptoms include:
- Pain in the abdomen
- Diarrhea
- Feeling tired all the time
- Fainting
- Unexplained weight gain.
These possible symptoms of pancreatic islet cell cancer are not sure signs of the disease. Other pancreatic diseases and health problems can cause these symptoms. People who experience possible symptoms of islet cell cancer should see a doctor as soon as possible; only a doctor can diagnose and treat the problem.
Diagnosing Pancreatic Islet Cell Cancer
If a person has what may be possible pancreatic islet cell cancer symptoms, doctors will likely:
- Perform a physical exam
- Ask about the patient's personal and family medical history
- Order blood and urine tests to check hormones levels
- Order other tests, including x-rays and special scans.
Pancreatic Islet Cell Cancer: Stages and Types
Once doctors diagnose islet cell cancer, they will need to order more tests to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This is called staging. The staging system for pancreatic islet cell cancer is still being developed. Islet cell tumors are usually divided into one of three groups:
- Islet cell cancers occurring in one site within the pancreas
- Islet cell cancers occurring in several sites within the pancreas
- Islet cell cancers that have spread to lymph nodes near the pancreas or to distant sites.
Doctors will also need to identify the type of the islet cell tumor in order to plan pancreatic islet cell cancer treatment. Types of islet cell tumors include:
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