12 weeks. That’s all it took for pancreatic cancer—one of the world’s deadliest cancers—to kill my father. It’s not called a silent killer for nothing: the disease develops silently, with few early symptoms, until treatment options are limited.
A Silent and Aggressive Cancer
Pancreatic cancer receives little media attention compared to lung, breast, or colon cancer. Yet it remains one of the most serious cancers, ranking fourth in cancer deaths.
In France alone, nearly 16,000 new cases are diagnosed each year (Santé Publique France, 2023).
Worldwide, the incidence is increasing by 2 to 3% per year.
The five-year survival rate is still less than 10%.
Diagnosis is generally late: the average age at screening is 71 for men and 74 for women. By this time, more than three-quarters of tumors are already inoperable. Only complete surgical removal offers a chance of long-term survival, hence the importance of early detection.
The Two Symptoms We Missed
Looking back, there were two clear warning signs that we should have taken more seriously.
1. Persistent abdominal or back pain
My father initially complained of back problems, which he attributed to his posture and age. But the pain persisted, spread to his upper abdomen, and worsened at night or after meals.
This type of dull, radiating pain, especially when it persists or intensifies, is a common early sign of pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, it is often mistaken for minor digestive or muscular problems.
2. Rapid and unexplained weight loss
In three weeks, my father lost more than five kilos without any effort. His appetite disappeared and he became fatigued. We attributed it to stress, but it was the cancer that interfered with his pancreas’s role in digestion.
Sudden weight loss without a clear cause is a warning sign and should always be a reason for medical evaluation.
Other warning signs to watch for
Although pain and weight loss are the most characteristic symptoms, other symptoms may also occur:
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), often due to obstruction of the bile ducts
