About 620 people a year are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in Ireland. It develops when abnormal cells in the pancreas - an organ that sits in the top part of your tummy and helps you digest food and make hormones - grow out of control and form a tumour.
READ MORE: People stunned after learning what WC actually stands for - and real meaning of 'the jacks' The UK charity said: “Diarrhoea consisting of loose, watery, oily or foul-smelling stools can be caused by insufficient amounts of pancreatic enzymes in the intestines. A 2021 study identified additional symptoms of pancreatic cancer that can show up a year before diagnosis, including dark urine and thirst.
There is no national screening programme for pancreatic cancer as it is not a common cancer in Ireland and there is no single test to diagnose it, however anyone worried about their risk of pancreatic cancer should talk to their family doctor.