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Be Aware of Negative Feelings That Won't Go Away

It is important to remember that throughout the course of dealing with pancreatic cancer, a patient will have good days and bad days. However, when bad days persist and a patient does not seem to have any relief from negative feelings, a patient may be suffering from depression. Depression is common among pancreatic cancer patients. It is important to realize that depression is a treatable complication of pancreatic cancer and patients should contact their physician if they believe they may be depressed.

Depression can take the form of intangible feelings like low self esteem, hopelessnesss, and persistent thoughts about death or suicide, or depression may manifest with physical symptoms like poor appetite, low energy, and disrupted sleep. Patients and their support networks should be attentive to these symptoms so that a patient can get the necessary treatment.

At the Pancreas Center, patients have access to a team of experts who specialize in treating and counseling patients with pancreatic cancer and have extensive experience helping cancer patients cope.