Back pain and fatigue may be signs of pancreatic cancer.
Loss of appetite, unexplained fatigue, abdominal discomfort, back pain, and sudden weight loss are often perceived as "minor" issues — consequences of stress or overwork. However, it is these nonspecific symptoms that may be the first signs of pancreatic cancer. This conclusion was reached by scientists whose work was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Pancreatic cancer is considered one of the most aggressive forms of cancer largely due to late diagnosis. In the early stages, the disease either shows almost no symptoms or is masked by back pain and unexplained weight loss. This is why, researchers emphasize, paying close attention to such symptoms can provide a rare time advantage.
In their work, the scientists demonstrated that at early stages, the tumor already activates key molecular mechanisms of growth and survival associated with the mutation of the KRAS gene. This opens a window of opportunity for therapy if the disease can be detected before it spreads. The authors proposed a triple-targeting scheme that simultaneously blocks three signaling pathways used by cancer cells. In experiments on animals and patient tumor models, this combination led to significant tumor regression and prevented the development of drug resistance.
Researchers emphasize: the new therapy is still in the preclinical stage, but the very logic of its operation changes the perspective on the disease. If pancreatic cancer can be suspected at the stage of back pain and unexplained weight loss, there is a chance to intervene before the tumor becomes virtually untouchable.
