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What to expect: How will symptoms and side effects be managed?
There are things that can help with symptoms when you have pancreatic cancer. This page explains how that will be managed.
What’s in the What to expect from your care section?
- What to expect from your care if you have pancreatic cancer
- What to expect: Who should manage your care?
- What to expect: Understanding your diagnosis and treatment options
- What to expect: Care if your cancer can’t be cured
- What to expect: How will symptoms and side effects be managed?
- What to expect: Practical and emotional support
- What to expect: What information and support is there for families?
- What to expect: Support if you have concerns about your care
Support with symptoms
Your medical team should help manage any symptoms you may have. These may be things like pain and fatigue. There are things that can help.
Digestion and nutrition
Your medical team should give you advice and support to manage problems with eating and digestion.
The pancreas produces enzymes which help to break down (digest) food. Pancreatic cancer, and surgery to remove the cancer, can affect this. This can cause symptoms like tummy pain, weight loss, wind and changes to your poo.
These symptoms can be managed with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). These are capsules that help you digest food and can make a big difference to how you feel. PERT can also help you cope better with treatments like chemotherapy. Most people with pancreatic cancer will need to take PERT.
Your medical team should tell you how to take PERT properly, so that you are confident doing this.
Who is the dietitian?
You may see a dietitian, ideally a specialist dietitian who is an expert in diet and cancer. They can provide advice tailored for you.
Not all hospitals have a specialist dietitian. Your doctor or nurse may help you with digestion symptoms, or they may refer you to a general dietitian. Ask them about whether PERT might help you.
Managing diabetes
Diabetes is where the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) in your blood is too high. Some people with pancreatic cancer develop a type of diabetes called type 3c diabetes. This is different to other types of diabetes and is treated differently. Information and advice about diet for type 1 or type 2 diabetes may not be right for you.
You should be referred to a diabetes nurse, who will explain how to manage your diabetes.
Speak to our nurses
Updated August 2024
Review date August 2026