Yellow skin, dull eyes, dark urine: a condition that raises concern
“Essentially, you’ll turn completely yellow,” explains Dr. Mensier. This yellowing is often mistaken for temporary fatigue or liver problems. In fact, it’s a tumor in the head of the pancreas that causes this sudden change. It compresses the common bile duct, preventing the proper flow of bile into the intestines.
As a result, bile returns to the liver, enters the bloodstream, and is then filtered by the kidneys. The effect:
Yellowish skin and eyes (jaundice).
Very dark urine, brown, almost black.
Pale or even whitish stools.
It may seem shocking, but it’s not painful, which helps make it invisible. Despite this, it’s often the first visible symptom of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer: when this symptom appears, you need to act quickly.
This is
This symptom shouldn’t be monitored “in hindsight”: it requires immediate consultation. To confirm the cause, a simple abdominal CT scan or endoscopic ultrasound may be sufficient to make a diagnosis. Dr. Mensier emphasizes, “You should see your doctor urgently as soon as these symptoms appear.”
To date, there is no universal screening test for this cancer. Therefore, the body is our best ally. And jaundice, although often ignored, can allow for intervention before it’s too late, provided it is diagnosed early.
Yellowing of the skin and eyes, accompanied by dark urine and discolored stools, may be a symptom of early-stage pancreatic cancer.
