Frequency and onset of common and biologically plausible symptoms in a 10% cohort of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
| Symptom* | N=296 (%) | Median symptom onset—days prior to diagnosis [range] | Mean number of presentations with symptom prior to diagnosis [range] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain | |||
| Abdominal pain | 130 (44) | 106 [1–1092] | 1.20 [0–12] |
| Back pain | 90 (30) | 483 [7–1092] | 0.54 [0–6] |
| Non cardiac chest pain | 39 (13) | 159 [10–1093] | 0.18 [0–5] |
| Shoulder pain | 21 (7) | 671 [48–1095] | 0.13 [0–5] |
| Upper GI symptoms | |||
| Dyspepsia/reflux | 77 (26) | 136 [12–1095] | 0.52 [0–15] |
| Nausea and vomiting | 58 (20) | 73 [1–1073] | 0.30 [0–13] |
| Abdominal mass | 11 (4) | 49 [0–255] | 0.04 [0–1] |
| Bloating | 9 (3) | 87 [27–607] | 0.00 [0–1] |
| Upper gastrointestinal bleeding | 8 (3) | 49 [2–689] | 0.00 [0–1] |
| Dysphagia | 7 (2) | 227 [0–603] | 0.03 [0–1] |
| Hepatomegaly | 3 (1) | 10 [0–68] | 0.01 [0–1] |
| Bile duct obstruction | |||
| Jaundice | 104 (35) | 31 [0–648] | 0.35 [0–1] |
| Pruritus | 23 (8) | 114 [13–1059] | 0.10 [0–5] |
| Lower GI symptoms | |||
| Change in bowel habit | 104 (35) | 188 [0–1078] | 0.73 [0–14] |
| Pancreatic dysfunction | |||
| Pancreatitis | 11 (4) | 108 [21–922] | 0.03 [0–1] |
| Steattorhoea | 4 (1) | 62 [0–593] | 0.02 [0–1] |
| Other constitutional symptoms | |||
| Weight loss | 29 (10) | 144 [14–937] | 0.09 [0–1] |
| Lethargy | 23 (8) | 219 [8–988] | 0.10 [0–3] |
| Anorexia | 14 (5) | 46 [2–337] | 0.00 [0–1] |
| DVT/PE | 11 (4) | 24 [0–1084] | 0.04 [0–1] |
| Insomnia | 6 (2) | 45 [34–74] | 0.00 [0–1] |
| Fracture | 4 (1) | 78 [0–242] | 0.00 [0–1] |
| Change in taste/smell | 2 (0.7) | 40 [38–42] | 0.00 [0–1] |
*Each symptom was assessed independently.
[▪]=Symptom onset >6 months prior to diagnosis. [ ]=Symptom onset <6 months prior to diagnosis.
GI, gastrointestinal.