Greasy or clay colored stools
A condition called steatorrhoea (stools that are large, pale, oily, floating and smelly) is a common symptom of diseases of the pancreas. It happens because the cancer affects the production of the enzymes needed to digest food, particularly high fat food. Undigested food passing quickly through the body can also cause diarrhea and subsequent weight loss.
Your doctor often orders these imaging tests to diagnose pancreatic cancer:
- Computed tomography (CT scan)
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Ultrasound
- Positron emission tomography (PET scan): Radioactive glucose injected into the veins is absorbed by cancer cells. PET scans may help determine the degree of pancreatic cancer spread.
If imaging studies detect a mass in the pancreas, a pancreatic cancer diagnosis is likely, but not definite. Only a biopsy can diagnose pancreatic cancer. Biopsies can be performed in several ways:
- Percutaneous needle biopsy
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
- Endoscopic ultrasound