Upper abdominal pain
As cancer spreads, it can press down on nerves or other organs, causing abdominal pain. A blockage in the digestive tract can also lead to pain. Most people with pain from pancreatic cancer experience pain in their abdominal region.
If cancer is diagnosed, relieving pain symptoms remains an important part of cancer care and treatment. This may be called palliative care or supportive care. Be sure to talk with your health care team about abdominal pain so that proper evaluation can be done. Moderate pain is treated with a “weak” opioid such as codeine with or without a non-opioid analgesic and with or without another adjuvant agent (such as an anti-anxiety drug). And severe pain is treated with a strong opioid such as morphine with or without a non-opioid analgesic and with or without another adjuvant agent (such as an anti-anxiety drug).