14. Nausea
Most conditions and diseases affecting the gastrointestinal system present with nausea, which is a physiological reaction of the body to unwanted physical, chemical or infectious agents. The pancreas, being an organ highly-involved in the digestion of food, can also cause nausea when afflicted with cancer. In most cases, pancreatic tumors wreak havoc on the organ’s ability to produce enzymes and hormones that break down food, making patients feel sick or nauseous. Gastric acid production can also be affected, with pancreatic cancer increasing the amount of acid in the stomach, resulting in irritation that ultimately makes a person feel sick. And depending on how large the pancreatic tumor is, it can impinge on the stomach and intestines, causing blockage, preventing food from passing unhampered. When this happens, patients find it difficult to keep down any food, resulting in abdominal discomfort, gastric acid reflux and bloating.