KOMPAS.com – Heartburn may be commonly considered a symptom of stomach ulcers, but there are actually other, more serious causes.
Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) Ari Fahrial Syam said that pancreatic cancer could be a cause of heartburn that you should be wary of.
Also read: 6 Early Signs of Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is one of the five cancers with the highest death rate worldwide.
“For this reason, when we have heartburn, we should not take it lightly, this is an ordinary stomach ulcer,” said Prof. Ari in the “Media briefing: Getting to know Pancreatic Cancer” which was held online on Friday (5/1/2024).
This member of the Advisory Council for the Executive Board of the Indonesian Doctors Association (PB IDI) said that heartburn due to ulcers and pancreatic cancer cannot be differentiated without a medical examination.
Also read: Get to know the stages of pancreatic cancer and their symptoms
“Please see a doctor first, if necessary, do an ultrasound. Make sure the heartburn is not due to a problem with the pancreas,” he said.
If you look at its position, the pancreas is located in the middle in the solar plexus area. So, when the work of the pancreas is disturbed, such as a tumor growing that blocks it, pain will appear in that area.
However, pancreatic cancer does not only cause patients to experience pain in the pit of the stomach. There are a number of other symptoms that would point to this type of cancer.
Also read: 10 Symptoms of Pancreatic Cancer and Their Causes
What are the symptoms of pancreatic cancer?
Prof. Ari said that the symptoms of pancreatic cancer are not specific.
“In the early stages, pancreatic cancer has no symptoms until the condition is advanced. The bigger the tumor gets, the later he will feel symptoms,” he said.
He also explained that when the pancreatic tumor gets bigger, the stomach feels pushed, the patient will start to feel nauseous, vomit, and sometimes also have diarrhea.
“If there is a blockage, the patient will usually itch. Generally, these sufferers lose weight. Then, there is also swelling of the legs, decreased appetite, fatigue quickly, and the body is always weak,” he explained.
Please note that when signs of pancreatic cancer appear, it is more difficult to treat this disease.
“If this disease has symptoms, it is actually too late. Once again, when there are symptoms, it is actually already at an advanced stage in the course of pancreatic cancer,” he said.
Also read: Heartburn Pain
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2024-01-05 15:00:00
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