Potential pitfall: Faecal calprotectin testing is an incredibly sensitive investigation for detecting the presence of inflammation. It is raised in a wide variety of conditions including malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease and alcohol misuse. It is therefore not...
Friday 4th September 2020 It’s World Leukaemia Day today. Are you confident in spotting the early signs of Leukaemia? Why not brush up on your knowledge and complete our free online Acute Leukaemia – Early Diagnosis and Chronic Leukaemia – Early Diagnosis courses...
Myeloma investigations If you are suspicious of myeloma following blood results, there are two pertinent investigations that can be ordered in primary care to give a strong case for referral: 1. Serum protein electrophoresis test 2. Bence-Jones protein urine test...
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Pancreatic cancer diagnoses can be missed due to the non-site specific nature of some early symptoms. However, according to CRUK, up to 70% of patients with pancreatic cancer initially visit the doctor with upper abdominal or back pain.
Pain often presents in the right upper quadrant (RUQ pain). It can begin as general discomfort, such as pressure under the ribs or pain in the abdomen radiating to the back, similar to a pulled muscle or stomach cramps. Patients may note that sitting forward can sometimes relieve the pain but can worsen when lying down or after eating, especially with fatty foods.
In line with NICE guidelines, the presentation of back or abdominal pain in people aged 60 and over combined with weight loss should be considered for an urgent direct access CT scan to assess for pancreatic cancer (to be performed within 2 weeks), or an urgent ultrasound scan if CT is not available.
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